Empowering Women To Buy Nike Rhetorical Analysis

Empowering Women to Buy: Nike
“They asked us to build a community of strong and healthy women,” and that is exactly what Widen & Kennedy Advertising did for the corporate giant Nike. Nike, a leading world supplier in athletic shoes and clothing, watched patiently through the late 1980s and into the early 1990s as the rate of women athletes steadily rose. Nike, who was known for their “power” advertisements geared towards male athletes, began to see a new potential market emerging. In the 1990s, Nike began an advertising campaign, not to advertise one specific product, but to advertise the benefits of women in sports and to build that image to the public. Nike believed that it was important to encourage female participation, and they hoped
The new advertising campaign shows various female body parts, each with a comment on why it is perfect. An example is the “My Butt is Big” print ad. The backdrop of the ad is all white, which symbolizes perfection, and so are the briefs of the woman in the picture. The ad has drops of feminine colors such as gold, pink, and purple in a random design to add a feminine color to the picture and to draw attention to the page. Only a portion of the women is visible because the rest of how the woman looks doesn’t matter. The focus of attention is the woman’s large round backwards “C” shaped bottom, that she is proud of. Again, Nike uses a powerful ad statement. Written in pink to draw attention are the words “MY BUTT is Big,” followed by “and round like the letter C, and ten thousand lunges have made it rounder but not smaller, and that’s just fine. It’s a space heater for my side of the bed, it’s my ambassador to those who walk behind me, it’s a border collie that herds skinny women away from the best deals at clothing sales. My butt is big and that’s just fine and those who might scorn it are invited to kiss it. Just do it.” The power statement uses humor and attitude to get the message across. Again, Nike’s message is simple; women should love themselves, no matter what their shape or
They appeal to women’s need for equality, achievement, freedom, and a sense of self. Nike supports the idea of women being free to play sports, free to achieve, and free to make decisions. The ads show that women are just as strong and powerful as men and are beautiful, no matter what shape or size they are. More importantly, Nike has subtly built a “community of strong and healthy women” (Widen & Kennedy Advertising). Nike quietly instilled the idea that if you wear Nike gear, you are part of a desirable community. Nike has been so successful at building this “community” that there is no longer a need to use the Nike name in advertising anymore; the famous Nike Swoosh is all we need to see. So if you are shopping for athletic gear and wonder if you should purchase Nike, “Just Do