BITE Insight

New Balance, alongside BMB, have presented the latest instalment of their My Future Self campaign to celebrate the brand's announcement as the official kit sponsor of the England and Wales Cricket Board. The latest ad, Dear 677, is an ode to the future generation of players. My Future Self sees top athletes penning letters to their future selves, encouraging them to drive to be the best, using their natural and unique ability.

The My Future Self campaign launched to promote the values, experiences and convictions of inspirational sportsmen and women. Previous letters include the professional tennis player Milos Raonic, the pro-skater and architect Alexis Sablone, and the Olympic middle runner Boris Berian. Through a signup sheet on the New Balance website, visitors can write their own letter to their future self, which is then emailed to them a year on as a token of encouragement and support.

Dear 677 brings cricket into a fresh light and generates excitement around the team and their upcoming fixtures. The video shows children playing games in parks and streets, and club teams celebrating their wins in tiny changing rooms. The message hinges around the belief in the constant self-improvement that athletes undergo every day, ending with the affirmation that “Greatness isn’t given”.

My Future Self offers a new take on self-motivation. It is pretty difficult, in reality, to give your future self advice as your circumstances, and often the team mates around you, change. There may be many theories about the best way to achieve your goal, from keeping it a secret, to proclaiming it to the world. But writing your ambition down seems to be a good first step to making it into a reality.