Project Summary

NIKE SPEC CAMPAIGN: "OXYGEN IS EARNED"

I created this Nike spec spot during a collaboration at the Snap Storytelling Academy. I partnered with a former track athlete to turn her intense, real-life memory of winning a championship race into a high-end brand commercial. Acting as the Creative Director and AI Producer, my role went beyond just generating images. I handled the entire pre-production phase, including scouting digital race locations, selecting authentic Nike wardrobe (top, bottom, and shoes), and creating detailed "method-acting" character sheets to define the athlete's physiological state.

My main challenge was pushing the generative AI tools past typical, polished sports images to capture the raw, grueling reality of that final sprint. I developed a specific prompting strategy for models like Kling and Wan AI to focus on physical signs of total exhaustion. The final campaign, which included creating premium promotional thumbnails for YouTube, was finished using a full production pipeline including Premiere Pro and ElevenLabs and is anchored by the tagline "OXYGEN IS EARNED." It’s a demonstration of how emerging tech, when guided by real human experience and rigorous pre-production, can meet agency standards for strategy and emotional impact.

Character sheets

Tarelle Butts © 2018