David Hallberg Is the New Face of Nike, and That's Brilliant

May 31, 2017

Slow clap, Nike.

Following in the footsteps of Under Armour (whose spots featuring Misty Copeland are now the stuff of ad-world legend) and Jockey (whose latest ads highlight Michaela DePrince), Nike has debuted a campaign starring one Mr. David Hallberg.

Obviously, the American Ballet Theatre principal looks fantastic in the brand’s surprisingly chic new styles. (Hallberg’s no stranger to modeling.) And, as the whole world is finally discovering, dancers are incredible athletes, making them natural choices for fitness brands.

But Hallberg’s an especially fitting face for this particular campaign because it’s inspired by the idea of perseverance—and he just returned to the stage after two years of grueling rehab for an injury.

Click over to WWD, which featured Hallberg on its front page yesterday, for a slideshow of gorgeous images of the dancer in Nike gear. The brand’s campaign also includes a film, “I, David,” which is currently being aired as part of a larger Nike exhibit in NYC. Here are two very short but very intriguing sneak peeks: