Niklas Kaul shivers. Rüsselsheim is not Johannesburg. A few days ago, the reigning European decathlon champion was training in warm South Africa. Now, in mid-April, while filming a new social media campaign on the parking deck opposite the Adam Opel building in Rüsselsheim, it’s just cold. “How am I supposed to laugh when my teeth are chattering?” he asks with a wink. But then of course he laughs. He just doesn’t like the role of the curmudgeon, he’s having too much fun with this team for that. This is not the first time that Niklas Kaul has appeared in front of the camera for the Opel crew. You know each other, the atmosphere is relaxed.
Focus on excellence
The second protagonist of the shoot – the Astra GSe – makes the Mainz decathlete shine even more. The new Opel for Niklas Kaul. The big athlete switches to the “Grand Sport electric” with 165 kW/225 hp and a maximum torque of 360 Nm – what could be better? The social media reels designed by the creative agency “Neuland” sum up the similarities between the two champions who focus on top performance: a clear focus, the power to accelerate, maximum endurance, speed on the track and always good traction. Parallels – short, crisp and to the point in 30 seconds. “Technology, precision, experience – that’s what Opel stands for, that’s what Niklas Kaul stands for,” explains producer Sina Lübke.
“Technology, precision, experience.”
Clear focus: The reels were shot in mid-April in the multi-storey car park opposite the Adam Opel building.
Two sprints, close-up on the sneakers – every shot is spot on. Niklaus Kaul is not only highly motivated when shooting. He has big plans for the next few months. The World Athletics Championships in Budapest are coming up in August, so of course he wants to be at the top again. He even wants to create the direct standard for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris before that. Because then he could also start free in the World Championship competitions. Until then, however, he must prepare himself optimally. And train, train, train. “Maybe the sun will come out again, then I can walk a little tonight,” says the athlete hopefully, looking at the rain-grey sky, while director Niklas Hill changes the subject, members of the crew adjust the headlights for the next shots .
Electric premiere with the Corsa
Opel and Niklas Kaul – that fits: The sportsman has been an Opel campaign ambassador for three years. In the “A Champion for Champions” campaign, the decathlete celebrated the “Golden Steering Wheel 2022” for the Opel Astra together with the two-time European Sprint Champion Gina Lückenkemper and the World Coach of the Year Jürgen Klopp. And Niklas Kaul is now also very familiar with the Opel product range. He gained his first experience of e-mobility with a Corsa-e three years ago. “Driving electrically is something special – pure driving pleasure.” Shortly before that, he had been voted “Sportsman of the Year”, and another would have been difficult to imagine in 2019. At the World Athletics Championships in Doha, the then only 21-year-old won gold. This made him the youngest decathlon world champion of all time – and the first German ever.
At the Olympic Games in Tokyo in 2021, he then experienced how quickly triumph and tragedy can alternate in sport. He injured himself in the middle of the competition, in which he had already positioned himself promisingly – and had to drive out of the stadium in a wheelchair. Niklas Kaul was all the more enthusiastic when he celebrated the European Championship title in Munich last year, with which he finally returned to the big stage. “For me, that was even a more emotional experience than winning the 2019 World Cup,” he says on the sidelines of the shoot.
“Driving electrically is something special – sheer driving pleasure.”
Maximum endurance: Opel sneakers, high jump pole – the film crew stages details as well as dynamic action.
In recent months, the top athlete has been driving the Astra Sports Tourer plug-in hybrid. “Mostly in electric mode – the acceleration is right there,” says the athlete, who is very familiar with acceleration. His 1,500 meter run at the European Championships in Munich last year became legendary. After completing nine individual disciplines, the Swiss Simon Ehammer was in the lead, although Niklaus Kaul had already caught up enormously in the javelin throw when he threw the javelin 76.05 meters – a personal best. And came the final run. The man from Mainz managed the 1,500 meters in an unbelievable time of 4:10.04 minutes, the next personal best – and thus secured the title of European Champion. He brought the gold medal with him to the shoot, as did his vaulting pole – they feature in the campaign clips.
With the Astra GSe to the university
And the anticipation of driving his new Astra GSe from the parking lot is great. “The charging options in the city of Mainz have recently become more and more numerous,” he noted. He wants to cover most of the way to the University of Mainz, where he is studying sports and physics to become a teacher. He will soon be installing a wall box at home for this purpose. Filming continues. The decathlete starts to sprint, just like the Astra with a sporty set-up.
Speed and traction: The social media reels sum up what the two athletes Niklas Kaul and Astra GSe have in common.
May 2023
Text: Eric Scherer, Photos: