Knocking all stereotypes out of the skatepark, Rayssa Leal was only seven when she went viral when a video surfaced of the young Brazilian dressed as a fairy princess, landing what Tony Hawk coined the ‘fairytale heelflip’.
Her career took off, opening the door for a new generation in teen girl skaters. Rolling into this year’s Tokyo 2020 Olympics at the age of 13 as a fan favorite, just yesterday Leal got her first medal in the sport’s inaugural appearance at the Games, winning silver in women’s street skateboarding.
To commemorate Leal’s first Olympics, Nike and Wieden + Kennedy São Paulo created ‘New Fairies’ – a Disney-esque film starring the young skateboarder.
Part of the ‘Play New’ global series, the ad shows that true magic doesn’t happen like a fairytale. It takes dedication to the sport, and it transforms athletes as well as society.
How it started: Where it is going: pic.twitter.com/CgnwTnBXEn
— Olympics (@Olympics) July 26, 2021
The ad uses playful elements such as animated animals and the Disney Cinderella song, ‘A Dream Is A Wish Your Heart Makes,’ to inspire a new generation of girls to be like Leal.
Click the box below to view the entire campaign. To get in touch about Ad of the Day, please email imogen.watson@thedrum.com.
