Watch: RAFAEL GRAMPA’S art gets animated for NIKE ‘DARE TO BE BRAZILIAN’ ad

Rafael Grampa’s art gets the animated treatment in this Brazilian Nike advertisement for soccer. Or football. Or futbol.

Whatever. It’s awesome.

The awesomest shit you’ll see today. Unless you saw the tears of the spectre-dragon that haunts the Dark Side of the Moon. Like I did. On my message board. Still though. This is close.

Brazil is hosting the tournament after a year of civil unrest, which featured protesters calling for the international community to boycott the World Cup amid spiraling costs and accusations of corruption. But soccer is the true national religion of Brazil, and I expect the World Cup to result in a wave of euphoria and national reconciliation, just as the 2012  Olympics caused in the United Kingdom after the riots of 2011. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if this joyous advert prompts the start of this process.

As the ad cuts from player to player, it also cuts to a fantasy sequence reflecting each player’s internalized view of a match against a thinly disguised version of Brazil’s old rivals Argentina. Grampá’s section represents the inner workings of David Luiz. The curly-haired defender may be currently out of favor at José Mourinho’s Chelsea, but Grampá imagines him as a superheroic powerhouse saving the ball off the goal line at the last minute. I also chuckled out loud at the section devoted to Brazil’s legendary manager, Felipão ‘Big Phil’ Scolari, viewing his team of global superstars as a pack of unruly children.

[Robot 6]