Media Monster

Landon Donovan’s Heroics Echo Nike’s World Cup Ad

Earlier this month, as the World Cup was about to get underway, Slate‘s Seth Stevenson gave an A+ to Nike’s “Write the Future” ad. For many American TV viewers, this commercial was a three-minute introduction to how exciting soccer can be, at its best. Stevenson raved that when the ad appeared on his screen for the first time, he “couldn’t remember having ever derived more exhilarating joy from a TV commercial.”

The ad was mostly loved and heralded by all for its documentary-style look at the impact that one shot – or missed moment – can have on a star player during World Cup play. It was so compelling because it displayed both the highs and lows of the sport as well as the aftermath of the game. (The two sides to the sport were featured in this week’s ESPN “30 for 30″ film about Colombian soccer player, Andres Escobar.)

Nike’s ad highlights and fictionalizes international stars Didier Drogba, Wayne Rooney, and Ronaldinho. But yesterday’s USA match propelled Landon Donovan to the forefront of this discussion as he, in the 91st minute of the Algeria match, became a bigger star than he could have ever imagined. It’s a moment that will be talked about for years to come, how the U.S. on the brink of elimination and settling for its third disappointing draw struck and changed the fate of American soccer. Or, as Dan Le Batard put it in the Miami Herald:

But then, just like that, in the one breathtaking moment we all visit this arena to chase, anger and frustration and disgust evaporated into an uncommon and sudden and shared joy.

That sounds an awful lot like Stevenson’s comments about the Nike ad on his first viewing. The connection here is clear: Donovan’s goal saved himself, his team, and American fans from the disappointment and disillusionment they’d all but accepted would run its course in those final, pressured minutes. It was then that Donovan came through and gave the narrative a different ending. It was the ending that we hope for in our wildest dreams and expect only in fictionalized depictions. In the final moments of the biggest game, the U.S.’s top goal scorer delivered a goal that many are saying will kickstart a soccer sensation in America. Donovan’s the star of this new reality.

Watch the ad below:

This piece has been updated.