What's The 'Just Do It' Video? Shia LaBeouf's Intense Motivational Speech Meme Explained

Remember when Shia LaBeouf gave the most unexpected – and deeply intense – motivational speech that took over the internet in May 2015?

It's been almost a decade since the "Just Do It" meme went viral and spread online through countless iterations, but it's still used all these years later from time to time.

Here's everything you need to know about LaBeouf's notorious speech and the backstory behind the recognizable meme format.

What's Shia LaBeouf's 'Just Do It' Video?

Shia LaBeouf might be a well-known actor across the world for his role in the Transfomers franchise and his role as Louis Stevens in the Disney Channel series Even Stevens, however, in May 2015, the actor went viral for a motivational speech made as part of a collaboration project between him, Nastja Säde Rönkkö, Luke Turner and Central Saint Martins (CSM) BA Fine Art 2015 students.

In this particular viral video, LaBeouf is seen yelling the motivational quote "just do it" repeatedly at the camera, enhanced with extreme gestures set against a green-screen background.

How Did Shia LaBeouf's Intense Motivational Speech Become A Meme?

The video reached virality, in part, after an internet user uploaded a video to YouTube titled, “Shia LaBeouf delivers the most intense motivation speech of all time” in 2015. After the upload, many users began creating parody videos and memes with it, largely aided by the green-screen backdrop and the sheer absurdity of it.

Among the numerous versions out there, YouTuber Michael McNeff uploaded one early example that went viral on May 30th, 2015, titled "Shia LaBeouf TED Talk." Another remix, titled "Dam It Shia" that was uploaded on May 31st, 2015, by YouTuber millerwa4 shows another early example of how the viral moment quickly became a massive exploitable format.

What's The Story Behind Shia LaBeouf's 'Just Do It' Video?

As mentioned earlier, LaBeouf was participating in a video art project called "#Introductions" with Nastja Säde Rönkkö, Luke Turner and students from the CSM London school. In the project, each student in the class was directed to write a short script for the actor to perform on camera in front of a green screen. The activity resulted in a 30-minute montage of performances strangely compelling. You can watch it all below.

#INTRODUCTIONS (2015) from Luke Turner on Vimeo.

---

For the full history of "Just Do It," be sure to check out Know Your Meme's encyclopedia entry for more information.