The World Cup’s greatest moments in five-second animations

The Hand of God drawn by the hands of men.
The Hand of God drawn by the hands of men.
Image: Courtesy INT Works
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Fellow fans will probably agree with writer Teju Cole’s description of the World Cup as ”beauty in epic form.” But what about all the World Cup viewers who will be parachuting into the drama mid-epic? Imagine picking up the Odyssey just as Odysseus returns home to Ithaca, or diving into Beowulf after Grendel’s death but before his mother shows up. How can newcomers hope to catch up on the serpentine back-stories, closely guarded heartaches, and blood rivalries without getting lost?

A London-based publisher has the answer: an epic in animated form.

It’s Nice That and its creative agency, INT Works, just launched Fives, an online exhibition of World Cup highlights presented in five-second animations. Standouts include Zinedine Zidane’s headbutt, Marco Tardelli’s glorious outburst, Diego Maradona’s Hand of God goal, and the Battle of Santiago.

Fives was the idea of Jamie Mcintyre, INT Works’ art director. He invited design studios and ad agencies around the world to turn their favorite World Cup moments into shorter-than-short films. So far, 27 have been posted—a lot of epic in just over two minutes. Three of our favorites are below (for the rest, visit the Fives microsite).

“Zidane Headbutt,” by Rajeev Basu and B.B. Vandals:

 

“Marco Tardelli’s Ecstasy,” by Canada:

 

“The Battle of Santiago,” by Matt Lloyd and Tim George: