Find Your Greatness

In terms of getting back in touch with consumers, I thought Nike’s “Find Your Greatness” ads to be an effective way of appealing to audiences while remaining true to brand voice. I viewed two of Nike’s ads from the same campaign, both of which featured regular people participating in everyday activities. The first ad consisted of an overweight boy jogging towards the camera down a back country road, at a time of day when most people are sleeping; before the viewer can discern what is approaching, a voice over tells us that “greatness” is just something we’ve made up. We think it’s reserved for the chosen few, “for prodigies, for superstars.” The voice over tells us we can forget all we’ve previously thought about greatness; it’s at this point that we can begin to make out the advancing form, and as the jogger comes into focus, the voice tells us we are all capable of greatness. The ad ends with a close-up of the boy, breathless but persistent, and the words “Find Your Greatness” with the Nike logo underneath.

The ad effectively uses pathos to capture the audience’s emotions; feelings range from intrigue, to admiration for the young boy, to feelings of resolve: I can be great, too. Perhaps out-of-shape athletes watched the ad and decided to pick up their hobby once again; maybe, like the boy in the ad, those struggling for their health will watch this ad and know that losing weight and getting fit isn’t as impossible as it seems. And maybe they won’t do any of this—maybe to some, it’s just a good ad. But would these people be motivated if they saw a 30 second spot about professional athletes performing ridiculous feats? The strength of the ad comes from its human element; it’s effective because it knows how to relate to the masses, not the few. Nike’s campaign not only encourages people to exercise; it’s helping to redefine what we think “greatness” is.