Every Arab woman has faced adversity at some point in her life. For women who want to do things that break the mold, however, the obstacles are harder to beat. Nike’s Middle East branch found a way to make that battle inspirational and brought home the Arab girl power in their latest commercial.
Watch as incredible Arab athletes battle their self-doubt and judgment from others, turning the question “what will they say about you?” from something to be feared, to something to be proud of.
In case you don’t understand Arabic, the question is first answered with “you shouldn’t be here” and “this game isn’t for you.” Soon enough, the athletes find their own answers, like “you’ll be the next big thing” and “you made it look easy.”
You’ll see great athletes like Amal Murad, a parkour trainer, and Zahra Lari, a figure skater. Both are from the UAE – talent is always a lot closer than you think. Balqees Fathi, a UAE pop singer, also appears in the video. She, too, has faced an upward climb on her career path.
But this isn’t the first time Nike hits an inspirational note – their slogan is “Just do it,” after all. Around Olympics time those ads hit a fever pitch, it was almost enough inspiration to get us to the gym, which is an impressive feat.
One such ad showed young kids who are terrible at sports. They face obstacles but don’t give in, thanks to the narrator’s guidance. With enough practice and motivation, they exceed the narrator’s expectations and leave him shocked as sports icons like Serena Williams, Neymar Jr. and Kevin Durant show us the truly incredible things they’re capable of. It is definitely a roller coaster ride.
