Nomis, the football boot manufacturer, challenges the hold major companies have over the soccer code in the UK with “Damn Boots”, a TV advert featuring a young footballer with a golden boot. Nomis is an anagram of Simon (Skirrow), the Australian founder of the company that creates boots out of kangaroo and bovine leathers.
The young footballer launches his professional career with a photo shoot holding the golden boot. He steps into a large football and is carried through a pre-selected path through glory, adulation, discomfort, injury, surgery, disappointment and financial difficulty. All because he’s not wearing comfortable footwear. The soundtrack, sung by Phil Hoffmann, provides a football version of the traditional spiritual, Dem Bones.
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Credits
The Damn Boots ad was developed at Johannes Leonardo, New York, by executive creative director/copywriter/art director Johannes Leonardo, with agency producer Matthew Mattingly.
Filming was shot by Woof Wan-Bau via Nexus Productions, London, with director of photography Philipp Blaubach, producers Chris O’ Reilly and Charlotte Bravasso.
Visual effects were developed at Framestore, London, by a team including colourist Steffan Perry and Flame operator Darran Nicholson. Post production was done at The Mill, New York.
Audio post production was done at 38 Greene Studios, New York, by engineer Casey Chester and executive producer Kate Lower.
Music was composed by Will Bates (Amber Music) and features Phil Mossman (formerly of LCD Soundsystem!). Sound was designed and arranged at Amber Music, New York, with producer Patrick Oliver and executive creative director Michelle Curran.
The Damn Boots spot won two Gold Film Lions at Cannes Advertising Festival 2008, including one for best use of music.
Damn Boot Lyrics
The performance is connected to the trophies
And the trophies connected to attention
The attention is connected to the sponsorship
And the sponsorship connected to endorsements
The endorsements connected to the logo
And the logo’s connected to the boots
Then the boot is connected to the friction
And the friction connected to the blister
And the blister connected to the ouch
Damn boots, damn boots (I hate these boots)
Those boots, them boots (I damn these boots)
Damn boots, damn boots (I loathe the pair of them)
Them boots, them boots
Damn boots, damn boots (I hate these boots)
Those boots, them boots (I wish I did not get them)
Damn boots, damn boots (oh damn these boots)
Those boots, them boots
And the ouch is connected to the limping
And the limping connected to the injury
The injury needs a diagnosis
And that will lead to an operation
Operation is connected to recovery
Recovery connected to time off
Time off connected to anxiety
And that is connected to the confidence
Damn boots, damn boots (I hate these boots)
Those boots, them boots (Damn these boots)
Damn boots, damn boots (Get ’em off my feet)
Those boots, them boots
The confidence is connected to the mistakes
Mistakes are connected to the goals
The goals are connected to losing
And the losing is connected to the contract
One contract is connected to another contract
And those are connected to the millions
And the millions are connected to the mortgage
ANd the mortgage is connected to the house
And with the house, of course, come all the fast cars
And all those are connected to the dream
Damn boots, damn boots (I hate these boots)
Those boots, them boots (Damn these boots)
Damn boots, damn boots (I should’ve worn these other ones)
Those boots, them boots (Get ’em out of my sight!)
Those boots, them boots (I don’t ever want to see ’em again, that’s it!)