Nike’s campaign ‘Play New’ aims to inspire people to discover sport in different ways. Putting aside the pressures of competition, the campaign instead emphasizes the joy of movement and creativity of play. The 60-second launch video features a number of high-profile elite athletes who, instead of winning medals and training for tournaments, are just seen to be having a good time. Nike will also share a series of athletes' stories across its digital channels with the aim of highlighting the importance of sport and portraying athletes in a relatable light. ‘Play New’ will also appear on Snapchat, introducing full-body AR to encourage people to try new virtual sports like surfing or yoga.

The world of sport has long felt intimidating and uninviting. Barriers range from psychological and emotional ones, such as a fear of failure to economic, racial, and gender-based limitations. With physical activity being crucial for health, making the sporting landscape as inviting and inclusive as possible is essential. Indeed, among 11- to 18-year-olds, only 40% of girls and 54% of boys enjoy physical activity, and these numbers decrease with age. Brands and businesses can work to reframe the image of sport, turning it from a stressful and pressure-inducing experience to one that sparks joy in people of all ages, experience levels, body shapes, and social and ethnic backgrounds.

Leila Zadeh is a cultural anthropologist with an MA from UCL. She's especially interested in the relationship between humans and digital-era technology and how they imbricate with other cultural and social systems. Outside work she loves going to museums, dancing ballet, and reading historical fiction novels.