Nike's "Leave Nothing" Commercial

[cobrakai111]

The most recent commercial by Nike featuring Merriman and Stephen Jackson with the Last of the Mohegans soundtrack in the background ( Leave Nothing ) is probably the first time I've ever rewound my DVR to rewatch a commercial.

I did a little research on it and found out it was directed by Michael Mann (Heat, Ali, Collateral, Last of Mohegans, etc.) I've never heard of a major director "stooping" to doing something like commercials. Is this common at all? And out of curiousity how much does someone like Mann make for this?

[TiK]

I know Spike Jonze has done numerous commercials. So it definitely happens. As for how common, I do not know.

[Blarg]

Spike Lee did some. Ridley Scott came from commercials and I think has done a few. This isn't as uncommon as it used to be.

[otnemem]

Tony Kaye, who did American History X, directed a pretty famous anti-drug commercial - the one that likened you buying a dimebag to supporting international terrorism.

[tuq]

Would it really be "stooping" if they're putting together a slick 30-60 second clip to further their legacy? I don't think so. It's not like they're going on the Hollywood Squares or Surreal Life or something.

[Bork]

The commercial sucks because they edit out the shooting of roids and gratuitious retarded celebration Merriman does after every tackle.

[eviljeff]

for those that care, the song is "Promentory" from the Last of the Mohicans (sp?) soundtrack

[BigMac1082]

beat me to it jeff

[Los Feliz Slim]

That Nike commercial is incredible.

Many feature film directors shoot commercials, and many started in the genre. Michael Bay directed the famous "Aaron Burr" Got Milk? commercial. Christopher Guest has directed a number of commercials over the years, including Washington Mutual, Kellogg's, etc. The documentarian Erroll Morris does tons and tons. Others: The Farrelly Brothers, Mark Pellington, Todd Phillips, Guy Ritchie.

These directors do commercials for the same reason everybody else does: money. A big-time feature director can get an incredible amount of money for relatively little time.

[cobrakai111]

Fair enough, I guess Im a little naive here. I just figured once you got films nominated for Oscars, commercials would be a distant memory. Good responses, thank you.