I recently saw a commercial for Nike running shoes.
The commercial features two individuals, who are lovers, and each one’s quest
to run to the other starting at a great distance apart. One of the runners (the
female) is wearing Nike running shoes, while the other (the man) is wearing a
brand of running shoes other than Nike. In the commercial, tracking is used
extensively as the camera tracks each individual as he/she is running through
various areas. The commercial also makes use of the visual effect body
language, as the runner in the Nike shoes is always running with erect posture,
and is often seen looking up, conveying a sense of happiness, while the runner
without Nike shoes is constantly slouched and frequently seen looking down,
creating a feeling of despair or sadness. The contrast between the body
language, and therefore the attitudes of the two runners suggests that Nike
running shoes brings one happiness, and that Nike shoes will allow one to run
better and for a longer time. One propaganda technique used in the commercial
is transfer. As the runner without Nike shoes becomes burnt out, and is taken
to the hospital for exhaustion, the runner with the Nike shoes has the strength
and endurance to run all the way to meet the man at the hospital. This contrast in running
ability may lead the viewer to believe that Nike running shoes allow one to run
better for a longer time.
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I also watched this Nike commercial. The commercial begins with a couple running across the country to each other. The woman is wearing Nike running shoes while the man is wearing a generic brand. Throughout the commercial the woman seems relaxed, happy, and full of energy. The man stumbles, flails his limbs, and breathes heavily. This use of body language contrasts the people’s running experience and therefore contrasts the two pairs of shoes. The film techniques heavily used in this commercial include panning and tracking. Extreme close ups are also used on the people’s faces to show how they feel during their run: the woman looks poised and relaxed while the man looks exhausted. This furthers the use of body language to show emotion. Long shots are also used to show the different landscapes the people are running through. The man’s surroundings barely change, while the woman’s surroundings change drastically to show her progression across the country. Match cuts are also used as a song is sung, alternating between each person singing a line of the song. One propaganda technique that is very evident throughout the commercial is transfer. Transfer is used to suggest that Nike shoes will allow you to run faster for longer periods of time. Nike also uses the "We're special and unique" technique to make viewers believe that their ordinary sneakers will do extraordinary things, since the woman wearing Nike sneakers makes it cross country and the man wearing generic sneakers ends up in the hospital.
ReplyDeleteI also watched this commercial and I agree with both Tyler and Kelsey. At the beginning of the commercial, you see both the man and the woman getting ready to go for a run separately and both start off strong and are singing a song together. As the commercial goes on, you can see how the man is losing his energy, but the female with the Nike shoes on doesn’t seem to be phased by the workout at all. The camera angle used very often is the close up on the faces of the two and the medium and long shots are used to show the background and places the two are running through. The fact that the Nike shoes are supposed to make you "Run Stronger" is definitely an example of transfer and there are many other propaganda techniques used throughout the commercial. Towards the end of the commercial, the girl is still running strong until she gets to the hospital where the man is, and then the viewer is left with the Nike swoosh and “run stronger” which is a great example of loaded words and it’s supposed to make the viewer think that their product really makes that much of an impact on how someone can run just based on their choice of shoes.
ReplyDeleteI recently watched the same Nike commercial and thought it was extremely creative and unique. The target audience is female, 25-35, middle-upper class, and any race. The main aspect of the commercial is love; it shows what she would do for it. This is very clever of Nike because most women in that age range are looking for a serious, long term relationship and potentially even marriage. Important visual elements include camera, sound, and juxtaposition. For camera, there are many close-ups of the Nike show. The first one is within the first ten seconds of the commercial while the woman is tying it. There are several others while she is running, and finally the last one when she jumps into his hospital bed. These are used to remind the viewer of the product periodically. For sound, the man says things like “I don’t think I can keep this pace” and “I think I need a medic” to prove that the runners, and therefore their shoes, are not equal. For juxtaposition, there are several shots of the woman running through different parts of the country placed next to and contrasted by several shots of the man going through the hospital. This is to stress the greater performance of the Nike shoe. The main types of propaganda used are transfer, humor, and snob appeal. Throughout the entire commercial it is implied that if you wear Nike shoes, you will run faster, longer, and stronger than if you were to wear normal running sneakers. Humor is used when the man says things like “baby I might die” and “I see a pool of my own vomit” to stress his exhaustion. Snob appeal is used because Nike sneakers performed better against “normal” sneakers. This causes them to be perceived as elite.
ReplyDeleteI just watched this commercial for the first time ever and I really enjoyed it a lot. In this commercial sound is a film technique used. The man and the woman are both singing a song; this helps keep the audience interested because it’s different than most commercials. The song also relates to Nike because it’s talking about running, which the commercial is trying to get across that Nike shoes are great to run in. During the commercial the audience sees the woman has Nike shoes on and the guy has just some random brand on. To get the point across that Nike is the better brand in this case we see that the girl can run all the way across the country without stopping or being tired while the guy, the one who wore the random brand, has to go to the hospital. Humor was used in this commercial as well by showing the man singing parts of the song were he’s saying “he’s dying” and “it was a bad idea to go on that run.” Those out of context might not sound funny but if you watch the commercial you’ll laugh a little bit.
ReplyDeleteIt seems that everytime I watch television, I end up seeing this same Nike running commercial at least once. I think it's a very good commercial that really gives the viewer a sense that Nike running shoes can make a big difference in your running ability. There are many crucial film techniques used that help portray this feeling of superiority to the viewer. One main technique used is lighting. The girl wearing the nike shoes is always shown running during the middle of the day on beautiful sunny days, while the male is always shown at night. Another key part of the commercial is the camera work. Medium shots that pan or track with the runner reveal that the girl is wearing a very well put together running outfit while the male is wearing cargo shorts and a zip up hoodie, clearly not the best clothes to run across the country in. Close-ups also reveal a sharp contrast in the two runners faces, with the female looking as if she's not expending any effort whatsoever, and the male appearing as if he's about to keel over in exhaustion.
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