Kylian Mbappé, Cristiano Ronaldo, Kim Kardashian and Travis Scott in a film with more chaos than plot: With “Rip the Script”, Nike launches a six-minute football film shortly before the World Cup that barely explains anything — and sticks in your head because of it.
Kylian Mbappé and Cristiano Ronaldo sprint through a Hollywood studio, joined by Jamal Musiala, Alphonso Davies, Virgil van Dijk, Erling Haaland, Vinícius Júnior and others. Legends such as Ronaldinho, Éric Cantona, Zlatan Ibrahimović, Didier Drogba and Jorge Campos also appear. Alongside them are stars outside football including Travis Scott, Kim Kardashian, LeBron James, Channing Tatum, Central Cee and Ted Lasso. “Rip the Script” is packed, hectic and almost excessive. That is not a mistake – it is exactly the point.
Shortly before the World Cup, Nike could have played it safe. Big names, quick cuts, a clear script – done. It would have worked, but the effect probably would not have lasted very long.
Instead, “Rip the Script” does the opposite: six minutes, cut after cut, constant new faces, much of it intentionally over the top. There is barely a real plot. The story is simple: A director wants to shoot his film according to plan. The players refuse to follow it. The set descends into chaos. The key line arrives early: “Nobody ever dreams of doing what they’re told.”
Behind the film is Wieden+Kennedy – the agency behind Nike’s 2010 World Cup campaign “Write the Future” and “Dream Crazy” featuring football star Colin Kaepernick. The film was directed by Dan Streit, known for music videos for Joji and A$AP Rocky.
Nike shows where football really matters
Six minutes is a long time for an advertisement. Nike still keeps the pace high. Almost every shot introduces a new face, a reference, a product or a small joke. At times the film feels like a music video, at others like a game trailer or a clip from a social feed. Even when the ball is not at the centre of every scene, football remains the core of the film.
The cast shows how broadly Nike approaches the film: with footballers, old Nike icons and stars from outside the sport. The result is not a classic football film, but rather a fast collection of stars, images and memories.
The title fits. The best moments rarely happen according to plan. Nike has told this idea for decades. This time as an over-the-top Hollywood film.
“Rip the Script” as part of Nike’s World Cup campaign
“Rip the Script” arrives shortly before the start of the World Cup — and it is part of a major campaign. The film belongs to a larger Nike package for the tournament summer: new national team collections with labels including Palace for England, Jacquemus for France and Patta for the Netherlands, new top football boot models, a collaboration with LEGO and more than 5,000 retail locations worldwide. In New York, Los Angeles and Dallas, Nike is building dedicated campaign spaces.
Nothing about it is subtle. But subtle has rarely been Nike’s strength in football. The brand’s best campaigns have always made the sport feel bigger. That is exactly what “Rip the Script” tries to do. At times the film puts too much into a single scene. Still, the guest appearances never feel random. Every name has its place in this exaggerated Nike world.
And that is exactly why the film stays with you. It stays with you because it does not try to be polished and would rather show too much than too little. And because it recalls many of Nike’s biggest football films: the best football never follows the script.
