For my research paper proposal, I chose a commercial, specifically, the first Nike “Just Do It” commercial, created in 1988. A commercial can be described as a type of ad that is designed to prompt an audience or to attract people to buy certain products or to attend attractions, in order to make a profit, via videos or on a television screen. The Nike “Just Do It” commercial features an older man who is smiling and running. The meaning behind the commercial is to motivate people of all ages, to get up and “just do it.” Nike conveys this message by showing that if an older man can get up and go for a run, then anyone can, therefore motivating people to buy their shoes and workout clothes. The commercial is set on a boardwalk with a sunset in the background, to create a pleasing image for the audience to convince them to go outside and enjoy the pretty scenery. Nike reuses the slogan “just do it” in all of their billboards, signs, commercials, ads, and much of their clothing and items, to keep a constant pattern that people recognize. By repeating this pattern and slogan, along with the notorious Nike “swoosh,” Nike has created a very famous reputation among athletic companies and is now known worldwide for their slogan and emblem. So when you ask, “so what?” to put it into perspective, according to the Micro Trends website, Nike originally started out making less than $2 million a year, and now makes about $49.107B in a single year, which continues to increase. In my opinion, Nike had a brilliant marketing strategy by making memorable and motivating commercials, which still have a great impact, considering Nike is one of the most successful businesses that are still continuing to grow.
media + content