Two Minds Are Better Than One: How James & George Took Nike’s ‘Scary Good’ campaign to the Edge
When Nike asked for a high-energy, horror-infused take on football, James and George dove in headfirst, creating a world where every hit, every glitch, and every burst of static had a story to tell.
What was the brief from production/agency?
This was very much a "throw the kitchen sink at it" brief; we were encouraged to push the sound design as far as possible. Each film had its own distinct style and personality, but overall the direction was to create something punchy, high-energy, and bespoke. The goal was to feel like a twisted, late-night horror infomercial - glitchy, unsettling, funny, and impossible to ignore.
What were your primary sonic references?
We took inspiration from classic and modern horror sound design, but also from retro TV static, analog glitches, and distorted infomercial aesthetics. Think Videodrome meets horror trailers - eerie bursts of static, warped broadcast signals, and digital errors. We love that slightly broken, corrupted energy.
What emotional response were you aiming for from viewers, and how did you go about creating that?
We wanted viewers to feel on edge and totally immersed in this weird, corrupted football universe. It was about chaneling that adrenaline rush of football, but filtered through the lens of horror. We used harsh static hits, abrupt stingers, warped vocal effects, and moments of digital decay to build tension and keep people off-balance, like they were trapped inside a haunted broadcast.
How did you balance the adrenaline-fueled football aspects with horror sound design?
It came down to fusing the explosive physicality of football with the chaos of a broken transmission. We kept the big hits, intense impacts, and crowd energy — but ran them through distortion, glitch layers, and heavy processing to make them feel aggressive and dangerous. That balance kept the sports core alive while pushing the horror elements front and centre.
How did you adapt your design to different story vignettes?
Each film had its own unique sonic feel. With different directors on each piece, every film naturally carried its own character and point of view. The sound design was also split across different sound designers and all mixed at Harbor, so each film had its own distinct flavour and personality. Despite these differences, we made sure they all felt like part of the same twisted, horror-inspired world - connected through shared elements and an overall cohesive aesthetic.
Can you say a bit about the collaboration with the production company, director, and agency? What was the process like?
We worked closely with the director and agency right from the beginning. It was a super collaborative and experimental process. There was lots of reference sharing, late-night sound sessions, and plenty of "what if we break it even more?" moments. Everyone fully embraced the idea of digital destruction, and we had the freedom to really push things creatively, which was amazing.
How did the two of you work together on this campaign? What’s the benefit of having two sound designers on a project?
Typically we will start a project by having a briefing chat with the Director and Creatives to work out the initial ideas and vibe of the project and researching any references. Once we are all on the same page George and I will tracklay from either end of the film each and meet in the middle. Then we will swap and go over each other’s first pass tweaking any ideas that could be developed. Our mix process requires us to sit together and craft the mix till it’s ready to show director and creatives. Addressing feedback is made easy as we tag team points needing to be addressed, we have worked together for 20 years now so have developed an almost sixth sense between us which allows us to pick up where the other left off. We also make a point to challenge and push each other creatively throughout the process, making sure the client gets something truly original and to the highest standard every time.
Any challenges?
The biggest challenge was striking the balance between horror and high-energy football without losing clarity or impact. Another challenge was processing the voices. We wanted them to feel corrupted and glitchy but still understandable. It took a lot of fine-tuning to make sure the chaos felt intentional rather than overwhelming.
Anything else you want to add?
This was honestly one of the most fun and creatively liberating projects we’ve worked on. We got to treat sound almost like a living character and push everything to the edge of digital collapse. We hope viewers feel like they're flipping through a haunted sports channel they can’t turn off... that’s exactly the vibe we were going for.
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