Nike - The Jogger

When Nike launched its “Find Your Greatness” campaign during the 2012 London Olympics, it sidestepped the predictable spectacle of world-class athletes. Instead, it gave the spotlight to an everyday teenager—Nathan Sorrell, jogging alone down a rural road in London, Ohio. Out of breath, sweaty, but determined, he became the unlikely face of Nike’s most subversive Olympic-era message: greatness isn’t reserved for the elite; it’s within reach for everyone. Over a steady camera and sparse soundscape, actor Tom Hardy’s narration reminds us: “Greatness is not some rare DNA strand… We’re all capable of it.”

The spot, directed by Lance Acord of Park Pictures for Wieden+Kennedy Portland, is striking in its simplicity. No stadiums, no roaring crowds—just a boy running toward his own finish line. By setting the film in “London” (but not that London), Nike cleverly rode the Olympic wave without being an official sponsor, turning geography itself into a creative loophole. The gamble paid off: “The Jogger” became the most talked-about piece of the campaign, resonating globally for its authenticity and emotional punch. It redefined what a sports commercial could be—less about medals and more about the quiet persistence that makes every step, no matter how small, an act of greatness.