Understanding the Nike Symbol

Visual Essay

Understanding the Nike Symbol

The Nike brand is one of the most prominent brands for athletic clothing, and clothing in general, in the world. The advertisement combines the name of the brand, Nike, along with an image to incite a new attitude: “Just do it.” The visual depicts a pair of sneakers on a grey background. The text is strategically placed beneath the sneakers, stating: “Just do it,” above the sneakers in another text, stating: “The shoe works if you do.” The text of the brand is not exclusive to the scenario of shoes being useless without exerting effort. The text is weighted much more heavily compared to what is displayed in the visual, but its purpose is to make a specific point within the boundaries of this context. I believe that the intent of this visual argument is to inspire people to realize that though their goal may seem far away, there are tools present within your reach that will assist them in completing those goals- they just have to make use of. In this case, the sneakers are present, but whomever the person is that owns them are not wearing them but instead is waiting, possibly for them to work on their own. The text on the on the advertisement implied that the person waiting to “Just do it,” in other words, to just put on the sneakers. Nike wants its organization and consumers to be spontaneous individuals who reach their goals, strive to attain whatever they may desire, and to not allow fear or laziness to hinder the time frame surrounding the completion of a goal. This visual argument works to display this message to the audience.

In other words, the symbol of someone waiting to out on the shoes can imply fear of the power of the shoe, or, laziness, someone waiting for the shoes to ‘run the race for them.’ Though the target audience is worldwide, individuals who are more familiar with the Nike brand will be better able to comprehend and respond to the message being sent through the advertisement. The advertisement uses a common item used on a near daily basis: a pair of sneakers. All humans wear shoes, even infants who cannot yet walk; therefore, the potential audience is enormous. It would be quite difficult to find someone who would not be able to comprehend basic principles of this message. This message and the values of perseverance and critical thinking, etc., associated with the Nike brand would only be understood by those individuals who are familiar with Nike and their products.

This visual uses a type of poster advertisement approach. It can appear anywhere Nike deems fit such as an education facility or outside a gym. The brand uses a variety of tactics to reach their consumers. This has a common interest approach to reaching their targeted audience which allows the audience to be more wide-ranging than previous advertisements.

The text is a huge factor in understanding this advertisement. The text directly relates to the action in the visual, mainly because there is only one visual that is quite simple; therefore, the message and visual argument are fairly clear to the audience. The Nike swoosh placed on the poster is concrete visual evidence for the purpose and motive of the advertisement. The text affiliation with the Nike brand is an imperative factor when comprehending this visual. The Nike swoosh is a common symbol affiliated with athletic apparel and the general world of sports. Nike sponsors several teams and individual athletes, professional as well as collegiate and high school, which makes the brand widely recognized in the athletic industry. “Just do it” is the most important argument of this visual; it also represents a major brand in the athletic world.  The text: “Just do it” is the brand label for the Nike organization. It does inspire a persevering mindset for me despite being familiar with the Nike brand and its products and having the ability to quickly relate.

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