“Joga Bonita” commercial is a hyper-professional spoof on amateur video
Rudely hijacking a German soccer news show (presumably during the World Cup), Eric Cantona, the iconic former French soccer player with the most memorable trophy wins for Leeds and ManU in the British Premier League, steps in front of the camera and passionately pleads for the return of aesthetic and passionate soccer. “Play beautiful!,” he commands, and his French accent and bon vivant charm makes for the perfect contrast to the stiff German studio atmosphere and its square-headed reporters. It’s also a smart riff on French savoir-vivre vis-à-vis the harsh German soccer culture.
The irony with which Cantona over-performs in his role as the Robin Hood of Soccer is simply irresistible. Everything in this commercial is so compelling, so out-of-wack, and so different that you just want to see it again and again. It begins with the cast: Cantona, a star but not a superstar like Ronaldo or Ronaldinho, personifies a different generation of soccer players, but his nostalgia is so unsentimental that it will still attract young consumers.
The clip celebrates street credibility versus stardom. It is as much as an idealization of the “bring soccer back to the fans” vision as it is a shameless spoof on all the amateur videos that swamp the YouTubes of Web 2.0. Although you are always aware of the powerful brand behind this clip (Nike, promoting its new online soccer community), Joga Bonita succeeds as a viral guerilla video: the guerilla lies in the eye of the beholder. Beware -- the big brands are now shooting amateur videos. Joga Bonita is not the first of its kind but is certainly the best so far.
hey i love those videos. i think they are awsome and what the players do in the videos that they cant do in a game.but anyways i know that ronaldinho is the best plyer in the world. he can beat anyone if he wanted.the song that they play with his video"remember the name" is a really good song i can sing it all. thanks for letting me say what i wanted to say.
Posted by: JOE-Z | October 10, 2006 at 09:06 AM
yo pienso q aparte de ronaldiho roberto carlos es para mi el mejor jugador del mundo
Posted by: beyner | October 01, 2006 at 09:08 PM
brilliant skill
Posted by: marc | June 05, 2006 at 04:48 AM
that commercial is great.
i would like to be a ronaldinho!
Posted by: SALTUKHAN | April 26, 2006 at 01:24 PM
Hi, I would like to say that I love these comercial and I think that Ronaldinho is the best player in the world.I would also like to know if anybody knows, what is the name of the song that is played in the video.
Adrian, Slovenia
Posted by: Adrian | April 18, 2006 at 12:43 PM