Ad+Critiques

=//Adidas 2006//=

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Amsterdam Greats
An integration of platforms has occurred, wherein advertisers are using traditional media to peak the attention of potential consumers. Through traditional media the attention of the audience is captured and then redirected to the applicable website. In both videos the company website is given at end, containing an extension for the specific marketing campaign. The beauty of this video is that there are several ways for people to stumble upon it. As was first mentioned, people might see a preview or hear of this campaign through television but also due to its originality and creativity it will also be virally shared. This video is similar to the Nike video that I talk about next in that neither is trying to sell a product. In the Nike ad, Nike is trying to sell the brand as the “unsung hero” in the shadows, as the piece of equipment that made the athlete famous. The Adidas commercial is amazing in that it is showing professional players having a good time and interacting with regular people. Scrimmages break out as passersby's flock to the soccer balls. Athletes like Zidane and Beckham come in and join the crowd, but they don’t stand out in any way. The fun atmosphere points to the love of the game. Adidas is not forcing any products on people by saying you need it to be the best (like Nike) but rather accepting players of all levels. The love of the game is an intangible thing, omnipresent. Adidas is suggesting that they simply provide the means to bring out this love of the game in anyone.

The town they start of in resembles many European cities. Cobblestone, old buildings and rivers running through the middle gives the appearance that it could be anywhere in Europe. The music is very ambiguous as well in that it is not any specific language I can discern. Another thing that really jumped out at me the third or fourth time around is that Adidas makes you feel comfortable with your skill level. At around 1:03 there is an older, balding gentleman who tries to do a simple trick but fails. He is wearing Adidas shoes. I think this is a great way to include a larger market share, unlike with Nike who only shows top athletes performing at their peak. Adidas seems to be creating an atmosphere of comfort by showing that anyone can play the game. One does not need to be Pele or Maradona to have fun and be active.

This campaign worked at the basic level because of its originality. This leads to the ad going viral, spreading it to a large audience of soccer fans. It also works because the focus is not to sell a specific product but to associate Adidas with the love of the game. As opposed to the unsung hero, Adidas places themselves as the helping hand to getting you started and tweaking your skills, no matter what level you are at.

=//Nike 2006//=

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The Cage
The second ad was picked because Nike is the major competitor for most athletic apparel brands. Especially at the time (2006) Adidas was still using sports related ads (as opposed to the new classic-line with Snoop Dog and other celebrities). The two ads are similar; using famous athletes, the same sport and both are universal in the sense that even without the dialogue most of the world could interpret the meaning. Also both ads focus on the love of the game, the passion that could be shared regardless of one's nationality.

If you are into sports Nike can drag you in into a long viewing session. The focus of the video is on the player’s originality and creativity. The fact that athletes are wearing Nike gear, insinuates that the players are great because of the brand. Nike has been endorsing major players and events for quite some time. This guarantees that there will be limitless amounts of content when browsing YouTube or any other mediating websites. The goal of any brand is to add to its consumer culture “purse” where all the relics are. By relics I mean any ads, promotional deals or news article, amongst others, that add value to the overall image. That is exactly what this ad is doing. Instead of selling a product or service like other advertisements, Nike is selling an image. The crafted story around the brand creates an almost mythological fellowship. Those who wear Nike are hard working, confident and have passion for sports. They are united. Or at least this is the image that Nike is putting forth in their ads.

The time and format of the video does not have the look and feel of an advertisement. The video itself is around 5:30s and unlike TV ads it seems to be a short movie. Potential consumers for this ad will range in demographics globally. People of all ages will recognize the stars that are in the video, and if they do not recognize the stars they will still be impressed by the players’ skills. A fast pace is created because the players get right into a tournament. The Elvis Presley – “A little less conversation” is playing in the background, adding to a fun atmosphere. Due to the universality of the song, more audiences will get a good overall vibe than just in English speaking countries.

Looking back on the way I used Nike even in this critique, their marketing campaign seems to be working. In the crafted perception Nike created, they are the basketball or the soccer cleats: the unsung heroes. They are the people in the background making it possible for athletes to reach their peak. Even the way I talk about Nike is more like an entity rather than a corporation. The problem with Nike that I personally find, at least for soccer cleats; is their quality. I’ve been playing soccer for a long time and I have owned a number of their shoes. Unless you spend a couple hundred dollars to buy the top of the line Vapors for example, the lower end to even middle class soccer shoes are really quite terrible. They fall apart after one season and are not very comfortable.

The “Cage Match” launched a bigger overall campaign for Nike. They started using the skills of soccer athletes out of context, to show that a true athlete can do anything. Between three or four other ones that I quickly glanced at, there are over 5 million views. The adrenaline and amazing dribbling skills; the overall design of the video has led to people sharing this ad with their friends everywhere. Content and originality lead to the success of this campaign.