Just Do It.

Nike feat. Oscar Pistorius - Bad Listener.
Nike feat. Oscar Pistorius - This Is How I Fight.

Speaking of great advertising, I've been meaning to blog about one of the best ad-campaigns and slogans of all time for a while now, as you might suspect I'm referring to Nike's "Just Do It." slogan and the general idea in their advertising that come along with it. You can tell that the slogan carries weight from the simple fact that Nike has stuck with it for the past twenty years, and since companies don't run on charity it is a pretty good indicator that it's getting the job done. And why wouldn't it? It's advertising based on pure emotion and actually throws a direct competitive challenge to anyone viewing these ads, which can only be right and appropriate for a company so associated with different sports.

Nike are regularly brilliant at advertising and there are many classic ads over the years that have come from them, they have a smart strategy of repeating their mantra over and over again while at the same time associating their brand with new and hot sports and the different top level athletes found in these sports. The ad above is one of my favorite Nike ads of all time, it has come in a few different versions thought the years. Oscar Pistorius is simply inspirational and epic-looking despite his disability, the fact that the disability is barely acknowledged at all is telling, there is no shred of pity for him anywhere in the ad. However the strength of this ad is not Oscar's great achievements, the strength is that the ad challenges you to strive and be the best that you can be.

Looking at the ad above I instantly get an urge to go running and all excuses of why I shouldn't or silly doubts about why I can't are made to sound ridiculous and petty. And that is why these ads are so effective, they are clean, emotional and they associate with the best within all of us. I'm personally a big fan of positive advertising and Nike have here managed to associate their brand with the one trait humanity can actually be proud of; the ability to overcome. I've grown up with their slogan and their ads, and from personal experience I feel that they have worked on me for I now aspire for the day when I'll own my own quality Nike running shoes. I will associate it with my own success. I can do more and I can do better, and so can all of us. I want to believe in the best of us and not the ugly and the low. Just do it.