Gamers Attend an Insane Bootcamp in Nike's First Esports Ad

In Nike’s First Esports Ad, Gamers Attend an Insane Bootcamp 

Chinese League of Legends players train their bodies and minds

Nike’s esports strategy focuses on three things. A region: China. A game: League of Legends. And a mission: player health.

The athletic apparel brand’s first esports ad, created by Wieden+Kennedy Shanghai, packages this strategy into a 90-second energy-fueled bootcamp dubbed Camp Next Level. 

In the ad, professional players for the League of Legends Pro League (LPL) in China spend time doing just about everything except actually gaming: think kickboxing, eating apples and napping. In esports as a whole, there has been an increased focus on players’ mental and physical health through fitness and nutrition. At Camp Next Level, retired League of Legends star Jian “Uzi” Zi-Hao shows off a new Nike compound to a group of top players. 

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Mitch Reames

Mitch Reames is a freelance writer based in southern Oregon. A 2017 graduate of the University of Oregon school of journalism and communications, Reames covers a wide range of industry topics including creativity, agencies, brands, esports and more.