Nike - Just Beyond Yourself

Nike - Just Beyond Yourself

2025 | Campaign Concept

To be the best, defeat the version of yourself that holds you back—every day, for as long as it takes. This campaign explores the internal fight. The quiet moments no one sees. The decision to go just a little further. The choice to push just beyond yourself.

Context

Two years ago, I joined a Zoom call hosted by Brian Collins. He had invited the poet David Whyte to speak. David kept repeating: “Just beyond yourself, that’s where you need to be.” It didn’t resonate at first, but it stayed with me. With time, it became something more—a seed of an idea. I thought, what if this could be a Nike campaign? So I made it real.

Challenge

As a brand designer working solo, I don't have the resources to bring everything to life exactly as I imagine. I searched visuals online to match the vision I had in mind. The goal was simple: make people believe Nike could have made this. But the challenge wasn’t execution. It was turning an internal, psychological battle into a visual system that felt bold, iconic, and true to Nike’s DNA. There was no external enemy so I needed to capture that idea of “against yourself.” Like a shadow. A reflection. A version of you in conflict. The hardest part? Making something visually simple, but conceptually deep, representing that idea of internal fight.

Solution

I quickly arrived at the concept: YOU VS YOU. I explored how typography could physically represent internal conflict. The answer came in the form itself: the Y and the U share a mirrored upper structure—almost like reflections. I leaned into that symmetry to visualize duality.  From there, I extended the idea to the Nike swoosh, giving it a mirrored shadow. That contrast became the backbone of the entire visual system.

I used the bold orange from the Nike Run campaign by Porto Rocha and paired it with Nike’s iconic Futura Condensed. Familiar. Recognizable. Grounded. To support the story, I used stunning photography from various Wieden+Kennedy campaign. The result feels both fresh and deeply Nike.

Ready to stand out?

Location

Sunny Barcelona, Spain

Boring

Terms & Conditions

© Alexis Balinoff Studio 2024

Ready to
stand out?

Location

Sunny Barcelona, Spain

Boring

Terms & Conditions

© Alexis Balinoff Studio 2024

Ready to
stand out?

Location

Sunny Barcelona, Spain

Boring

Terms & Conditions

© Alexis Balinoff Studio 2024