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Rebecca Harper Professor Payte English 114A 17 October 2013 Nike Find you Greatness Nike has shifted there attention away from selling a single product, by creating commercials that are designed to inspire their audience without the use of any athletic products. Typically, most sporting companies such as Adidas or Underarmor create their advertisement by sponsoring popular professional athlete to wear their products during their commercials. Their technique appeals to athletes or people who are interesting in sporting goods. On the other hand Nike created a new campaign called Find your Greatness which redefined greatness and inspired viewers to over come all obstacles. This campaign was launched in 2012 during the 2012 London Olympics. Uk, London, South Africa, Jamaica, Nigeria, and the United States were asked to produce one minute commercials which demonstrated that everyone is capable of pushing them selves to face their challenges. I believe that Nikes heavily realize on pathos, to advertise their company name and inspire viewers from all over the world. By using people who don't fit the social norms such as: obesity, disabilities, economic class, and race.

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The first commercial from the Find your Greatness Campaign is a story about a twelve year old boy from Ohio named Nathan Sorrell. Nathan is not your typical twelve year old, he is 53 and weighs in at an astonishing 300 pounds. This commercial takes place during sunrise on a long empty road. In the distance you see Nathan as he jogs closer you can hear his footsteps as he drags his feet along the pavement. He begins to heavily sweats and his breathing becomes harder and harder. The speakers main message is to show, inspire, and re-explain to its viewers what greatness is. Nathans greatness is his ability to push through fatigue, and finish his morning runs. It states that we as humans have trick our selves into believing that greatness is only for the few who are gifted. Nathan proves this stereotype wrong. Nike explains how precious greatness is and how its not unique it is some thing that we all possess, and are capable of achieving. This commercial, used pathos as an emotional aspect to appeal to developing athletes, people who struggle with weight problems, and the general public. The next advertisement is a commercial about is a Nate Muche, who is a thirteen year old pitcher for his local baseball team. In the summer of 2011 Nate pitched a perfect game with no base runners in over four innings, with just nineteen pitches. This phenomenal young man only has one arm. Nate was born with Amniotic Band Syndrome, which left his left arm ending just below the elbow. This did not stop him from achieving his greatness. In this commercial you see Nate pitching a great ball with his right arm, then in this process he quickly switches his glove from his left to his right, and catches the ball hit in his direction, then manages to throw the ball back to first

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base, all with in seconds. Nike is appealing to people with disabilities. People with handicaps are typically not looked at as someone who could be a great athlete, but Nate has shown his greatness and learn how to play with his disability. The man speaking in the back ground says, some people were told they were born with greatness, some people tell themselves. This statement just shows how greatness can be achieved by everyone no matter what physical condition, if you truly love something you will do everything in your power to achieve it. This commercial does not necessarily target a single audience, it is capable of influencing anyone to over come obstacles. This Find your Greatness advertisement is about a team of women, Muslin soccer players, in a huddle. Which is typically not the norm, it draws attention away from the normal athlete, and brings attention to a group of people who you would not usually consider soccer players. Muslim women go through many hardships with finding their rights and seeing them on a soccer field seems so out of the norm. But the speaker states if you think greatness looks a certain way, act a certain way, and play a certain way, we seriously need to rethink some things. This commercial appeals to all types of cultures, because it challenges the norm. Nike is showing that it does not matter who you are, where you are from, just as long as you have the passion and determination to follow your dreams. The last commercial takes place in an under privileged area in Thailand. A group of men are playing an intense game of soccer tennis, on top of a run down building. The speaker states you don't need an official court, official net, or official uniforms, to

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be officially great. The men in the commercial created their own equipment, including the net and the hackie sack, yet competed as if they were in a arena. These men are a perfect examples of how greatness can come from anywhere. This appeals to the lower class, and that you dont need fancy or expensive equipment, to achieve your greatness. In conclusion the Nike Find your Greatness campaign is not focused on selling a single product but targeting people who are out of the social norms. It inspires them to achieve their greatness by pushing through their battles. In every commercial there is a person who must face a challenge, adapt and over come anything holding them back. It does not matter on your weight, physical capabilities, financial status, and race, anyone can achieve greatness. Nike strongly uses pathos to emotionally draw their viewers in, and encourage them to be the best they can be.