Jonathan Chapman

Rhetoric 1312.14
Mrs. Williams

An Ordinary Person
In the year of 2010, Nike Incorporated aired a commercial that depicted a young man practicing
sports and running throughout an urban setting that is not named. This commercial took a very unique
turn in advertising its sportswear. In the process of promoting their product, Nike used a script that was
full of rhetorical appeals and context.
Instead of using a star athlete, they used a small town young man. The very first words spoken
by the young man are, I am not a star. I dont want to be a star, which are spoken as he begins to
dribble a basketball on a deserted public basketball court. These words give us the first impression that
this is an ordinary, average person who represents the viewer and every day average people, instead of
one of todays big name players. This young man continues to speak for us throughout the commercial.
During the commercial he sports Nike attire, which includes a hoodie, shoes, and even a basketball that
he throws up in front of the camera which catches a close up of the famous swoosh of Nike.
Obviously, the commercial is meant to sell us on the basis that no matter what sport you play,
Nike can help make you better and/or look good doing it. This is Nikes central claim in the commercial,
that Nike can push you further and make you the best you could possibly be. The message this young
man subliminally tells us is that you dont have to be a star athlete or public figure to wear Nike. Nike is
for everyone, and most importantly Nike is for you.
The commercial shows the young man constantly in motion, constantly pushing himself,
constantly bettering himself. The next scene shows him running over a bridge with people walking on
another bridge below him. This gives us the impression as if hes holding himself to a higher standard.
He is also running as the people below are walking. He is getting to where he needs to be faster than
everyone else.
Jonathan Chapman
Rhetoric 1312.14
Mrs. Williams

He also runs past a Homeless Willy who is holding up a sign stating the need a foot massage
which implies that Willy cant take the pain or consequences it takes to push yourself and become the
best you can be. Maybe Homeless Willy should have been wearing a pair of Nike tennis shoes to
prevent that foot pain. These very subtle and subliminal messages are interwoven into the commercial.
The social norm when playing sports is to show off a brand that you may or may not be
sponsored by. You see it every day when watching sports on your favorite players jersey, shoes,
armbands, and etc. You also see it every day outside of stadiums when people buy t-shirts with the
sports logo written on the front. The National Football League has actually signed a deal and switched
over their jerseys to be sponsored by Nike. With the Super Bowl being played annually and basketball
being played seemingly the whole year round, this commercials significance and kairos never essentially
fades but becomes more relevant as time goes on. Each February when the two best teams of the NFL
faceoff it becomes the perfect opportunity to place their campaign advertisement and have it be seen
during possibly the most watched sporting event during the year, even if the commercial is geared
towards basketball.
As the young man finishes running past Homeless Willy he speaks to the audience more, stating
that he pushes himself as far as he can go, and then he pushes farther. He doesnt collect titles, but
hours of hard work (Jeanpert, Michael). While he is finishing this statement he runs across a street, and
a flock of birds fly off and gives the scene an almost surreal or godly feeling.
The audience that this commercial is speaking to is primarily the athlete community, but besides
that group of people they speak to anyone and everyone that will listen to the commercial. Its not just
meant for one particular group. Like previously stated, you dont have to be a star player to sport Nikes
logo. Maybe you just like their tennis shoes better than other brands, but youve never stepped foot on
Jonathan Chapman
Rhetoric 1312.14
Mrs. Williams

a game field. This is also shown in the commercial. You never see the actor step onto a professional
field.
This commercial strongly appeals to pathos. As Americans, we all strive for the American
Dream. The idea that we start at the bottom, and with hard work and dedication we make our way up
to the top and reach a goal we set out for ourselves. The young man in the commercial represents the
beginning of that journey that we are all on, which further lets us relate to this unknown character.
Starting from a particular time in our lives we strive and collect hours, hours of hard work*for+ the
victory against ourselves. He also states that there are no cheerleaders to cheer him on much like real
life. Through the ups and downs of life, you always battle with yourself. There is not always someone
there beside you to push you so you have to push yourself.
The ethos or credibility of this commercial comes from the Nike Company, the brand that is
known all over the world. The commercial assumes that you know who Nike is and the real question is
who doesnt? They have sold an unimaginable amount of sports apparel and have credibility amongst
its customers. In a statement taken off the Nike webpage, we can see their earnings which further
exhibit their credibility.
Revenues for NIKE, Inc. increased 7 percent to $6.7 billion, or up 9 percent on a currency
neutral basis. Excluding the impact of changes in foreign currency, NIKE Brand revenues rose 8 percent
with growth across each product type and in every geography except Western Europe and Greater
China. For the fourth quarter, NIKE Brand revenues were higher in Running, Basketball, Mens Training,
and Womens Training, offsetting slight declines in Sportswear, Action Sports and Football (Soccer),
which reflects comparisons to strong sales in advance of the European Football Championships in 2012.
Revenues for Other Businesses grew 10 percent, including a 1 point reduction from changes in currency
exchange rates, as revenues increased for each business during the quarter (Nike, Inc).
Jonathan Chapman
Rhetoric 1312.14
Mrs. Williams

Nike Incorporated has sold sports apparel to many and has sponsored most of the professional
athletes and stars of the past and modern time. They have even sponsored the well known basketball
and baseball star Michael Jordan who eventually set up his own brand called Air Jordan and continues
to sell shoes to this day even though he has not touched a basketball on a professional court since the
year 2003. Today, Nike sponsored a wide array of athletes who play which include: Carmelo Anthony,
Derek Jeter, Michael Finley, Quentin Richardson, Michael Crabtree, Dwight Freeney, Michael Vick,
LaMarr Woodley, and Cristiano Ronaldo (Athlete Promotions).
In the next scene you see the young man finally slow down and stop. He leans up against a
fence as you see a train passing by in the background and sweat run down the mans nose. Im playing
for the ultimate victory, is what he says at this point. Then the scene switches to him on a track as he
finishes his sentence and says The victory against myself and he takes off. The commercial begins to
wind down and the young man begins to speak more continuously instead of in segments. There is
nothing else that matters than being the best you can be. This is another claim of Nikes that they use
to persuade their audience and appeal to the culture of America; the culture that always wants to go on
to bigger and better things.
Overall, this was a very effective visual argument put on by the well known Nike Incorporated to
sell their sports apparel. The commercial spoke to an audience that started with the athlete community
but could easily spread to other groups. It argued that Nike can be the defining factor that determines
whether or not you succeed and how far you can push yourself. This argument was conveyed through
the use of an ordinary person, a young man. The fact that this was an average person and not a star
athlete gave the main character his credibility and appealed to pathos with the implication that he was
working towards the American Dream.

Jonathan Chapman
Rhetoric 1312.14
Mrs. Williams

Bibliography APA Format
Athlete Promotions. (2014). Nike endorsers - athletes endorsed by nike. Retrieved April 3, 2014,
from http://www.athletepromotions.com/nike-endorsements.php
Jeanpert, M. (Aug 17, 2010). Nike basketball "ordinary people" 2010 spec commercial w/ tidiani
sokoba. Retrieved April 3rd, 2014, fromhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rtWcE3wguKY
Nike, inc. reports fy2013 q4 and full year results. (JUNE 27, 2013). Retrieved April 5, 2014,
from http://nikeinc.com/earnings/news/nike-inc-reports-fy2013-q4-and-full-year-results