On July 24th, Nike aired an advertisement focusing on multiple athletes, as babies, being put into a single nursery. The advertisement begins as a middle-aged man walks into the room and begins to tell the babies about the struggles they will face in the world. As he talks about the struggles, the babies stay silent and remain focused. At the end of the advertisement, one baby is seen with their fist raised into the air.
Throughout the advertisement, Nike has included messages and techniques in attempt to appeal to consumers watching the ad. For example, Nike’s use of babies in their advertisement appeals to consumers’ need to nurture. By doing so, Nike has attracted the attention of consumers, as most are easily won over with youth and innocence. The way Nike includes a middle-aged man, who in the ad guides the babies by shedding their sugar-coated view of the world, appeals to consumers’ need for guidance. Consumers let themselves be controlled by the advertisement when they see how a guiding figure, the middle aged man in the ad in this scenario, can help us get through life. Nike’s use of famous athletes’ names in their ad reflects the use of testimonial. By using the names of athletes, consumers will believe they can be as talented as a certain athlete by buying the product. Consumers believing they can have the talent of an athlete without all the training and hardships shows the advertisement’s use of simple solutions. In the middle of the ad, the middle-aged man mentions how “You get no say in the world you’re born into. You don’t decide your name. You don’t decide where you come from.” The emphasis on the things we don’t decide on reflects the lack of power within consumers. By emphasizing what we can’t control, Nike appeals to our need to dominate, as we desire the power to choose our life. An explicit message would be that “You are powerless in choosing how you start in life, take control of it by buying from Nike.”
Overall, Nike emphasizes the lack of power within our lives and encourages us to seek power by buying their products.
I also notice these things in many other nike commercials (as well as other sports brands commercials), how they emphasize the disadvantages that you face and how you can take control and decide your own future. Not too much in this video but definitely in other nike ads they use the underdog character situation that Americans love so much to convince their audience that they can take control and take action (by buying nike products).
ReplyDeleteI agree. The underdog is a popular archetype in almost any form of American media, such as Spiderman, who starts out as a "nerd" that was often bullied.
ReplyDeleteIn addition, it is notable that the weather outside of the building housing the babies is exaggerated. There is an intense thunderstorm raining down on the windows, and at the very end of the commercial a baby raises its fist as thunder booms. The storm symbolizes the hardships the babies will have to face while growing up.
The repetition of "You don't decide" especially emphasizes the lack of control. It is said again and again until what the audience remembers is that they can't control their lives, so why not turn to the one brand that can help them take back that control.
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