Nike takes inspiration from classic '97 "Park Life" advert celebrating the off pitch culture that surrounds players of all levels for the Nike F.C. Fall '15 Collection.
Whether on the Hackney Marshes or playing in Wembley - Nike F.C. is about grassroots culture just as much the elite at the height of the game. The "Park Life" advert celebrated grassroots and Nike go back to more simple though beautiful locations with the help of Raheem Sterling to showcase the latest wears from the house of Nike F.C.
A simple game often over complicated, Nike strip things back. Football is after all a simple game. Jumpers for goalposts will never die. We've all played on ski slope pitches, a bunker for a goal mouth and no one is watching - the most beautiful thing about this game we lend our lives to is that regardless of the battle ahead the location doesn't matter - that win means the same on any surface.
Commemorating this devotion to the game, Nike brought in Ian Wright with Raheem Sterling to produce the on point video above. Nearly 20 years on from the original, Wright fondly recalls shooting the iconic "Park Life" ad — namely that he couldn’t find the back of the net, despite boasting more than 230 career goals.
“I just couldn't score,” laughs Wright, who grew up playing Sunday league football. “It was really a nightmare because I was told, ‘We need to get a really good celebration.’ So I was thinking about the celebration more than I was thinking about scoring — I kept missing the target. In the end, I did score a good one, and then I ran off and did the celebration. It was quite exciting.” This passion infuses the ad, while its authenticity, according to Wright, explains its enduring impact.
“I think the reason it’s loved so much is because people saw professionals and ordinary football kids playing on Hackney Marshes with a great soundtrack," Wright says. "It was just really cool. I actually played on Hackney Marshes before I became a footballer, so it was all great stuff for me.”
Park Life is symbolic for countless reasons, it is the one true home of football and a mutual bond we all share. The Fall 2015 Nike F.C. collection are now available at select Nike retailers including Pro-Direct Select and on nike.com/nikefc.
