Nice to Meet You, Mr. Nike

This piece was written for a class project, which asked us to write a compelling response to a documentary film.

If you were a brand, what would you be? Would people describe you as lightheaded, elegant, or intense? Me? I think I would be like Lululemon—feminine, active, and confident.

But now think of it in reverse. Just like you could assign yourself to a brand, a brand can assign itself to you. Let me explain. Companies like Pillsbury, Facebook, and SoulCycle may seem soulless to some. After all, they are designed to turn profit and continuously acquire customers. However, brands can use advertising to develop a personality. All of a sudden, instead of just being a money-making venture, they are complex and personable.

Here’s an example from the film, Art and Copy: in the late 80s, Nike began using the slogan “Just do it.” They used this slogan in advertisements featuring average people playing sports or jogging. While this slogan has clearly taken off since then, why would the advertisers at Nike use this slogan coupled with these images?

They wanted people to feel like Nike was for everyday people, not just for athletes. In this way, Nike came across as approachable and motivating. You could wear a pair of their sneakers simply running down the road; you didn’t need to be a track star. The Nike advertisers deliberately ideated how they wanted consumers to feel about their brand, and they used this campaign to do it. Nike no longer wanted their brand to be associated just with athletes, anyone could “just do it.”

Think about Nike as if it were a person. If Nike was boring and unrelatable, would you want to hang out with them? No, you would want to hang out with someone approachable and complex.

I’m telling you this because I believe that it’s important to understand that branding is intentional. Advertising is a way to get direct and personal with customers; it is a tool to humanize brands and products. 

But as a consumer, you have power. You can choose what brands you feel are authentic and truly represent themselves accurately. 

From Art and Copy, I realized the weight of being an informed consumer. If you understand how brands are using advertising, you can incorporate this understanding into your decision-making process when considering what to purchase. So what brand would you like to hang out with? Me? I would like to befriend Mrs. Halo Top. She is healthy and unique.