Everyone is talking about the Spanish national team’s slick gameplay in FIFA 26 right now. But at Woolf+Lapin, we’re throwing it back to 2012 when we collaborated with Montreal filmmaker Patrick Boivin on a legendary Nike ad starring a marionette version of then Spanish 2010 World Cup & UEFA EURO 2012 hero Andrés Iniesta.
With figures by South Korea’s Coolrain, animation by Aardman, and agency magic by Wieden+Kennedy (London), this stop-motion spot remains an absolute masterclass in visual storytelling.
Patrick Boivin’s signature style brought an incredible, energetic entertainment value to the screen that still holds up flawlessly today. Next time you pass the ball with Spain in FIFA 26, remember the time Iniesta was controlled not by a thumbstick, but by actual puppet strings.
Even if you aren’t shopping for football shoes, the entertainment value of Boivin’s direction holds up flawlessly today. Check out the vintage spot!