Finding my "Greatness"

When people ask me about myself; what I'm passionate about and what my hobbies are, I always share with them that I'm a runner, because its something that I have enjoyed for many years of my life. However when I tell people this, they always respond with questions about competition; they want to know how many races I've competed in and how many miles I do every day. These questions make me feel like I'm not living up to the "title" of being a runner and make me wonder if I should be doing more miles, tracking my times and sharing my "success" with everyone, even though that isn't the reason I run. I run to feel good and there's no certain amount of miles that can be tracked and linked to the exact moment when I feel the sense of achievement and happiness.This ad campaign for Nike, called "Find Your Greatness", summarizes why I run perfectly; my personal definition of achievement.

In this one-minute "Find Your Greatness" ad, the camera is aimed looking down a rural road in London, Ohio. It is a quiet, early morning and all you can hear is the distant shuffle of a young boy's feet as he is running towards the camera. As he moves closer the narrator begins talking about "Greatness" and how we have made the word out to be something its not; "a gift", as the narrator puts it, that only some people have, forcing the rest of us to only be spectators of great athletes. The boy draws closer and you can see the sweat soaking his hair and t-shirt. The narrator then goes on to express that greatness is not only found in some, comparing the act of being great to breathing; all people are capable of finding their greatness. As the ad ends the boy is now close to the camera, with a look of determination and achievement.

http://youtu.be/LsXRj89cWa0

I found this ad on youtube through a search for "inspirational advertisements." It was an ad campaign put out just before the summer Olympics and was released on Nike's social media outlets before being set to be aired on television on July 27th, 2012, according to nikeinc.com. Another video advertisement in the "Find Your Greatness" campaign, along with more information about the message of the campaign can be found at http://nikeinc.com/news/nike-launches-find-your-greatness-campaign-celebrating-inspiration-for-the-everyday-athlete#/inline/12562.

The "Find your Greatness" ads are not necessarily persuading their audience to buy a specific product. The message is to get yourself to a state of "greatness" or personal achievement through physical activity. Everyone's definition of greatness is different as are their paths to greatness; this could be considered plain folks pitch as it is an encouraging message to everyone. Additionally it could be interpreted that the bandwagon effect was being used because the ad was out out during a time when many people were watching the Olympic games, which may have further motivated them to get active. I think this ad shows a story or "myth" visually. As the boy starts far away as the narrator describes our skewed view of greatness, and turns the message from negative to positive as the boy draws closer to our view. 

"Find Your Greatness" is an ad campaign which appealed to my emotions by reminding me of why I strive to stay physically active; it keeps me happy and gives me a sense of achievement that only I can gauge. This type of advertising; creating an emotional connection through a brand was brought up in "The Persuaders." Nike is not selling a particular product in this ad; its selling its brand's connection to the feelings of motivation, willpower, focus and achievement to all types of audiences.

There is a stereotype in this ad, which has caused some controversy about its message. The boy in the commercial is clearly over-weight, but this is part of the message; "anyone" can achieve greatness even those who may have a longer journey to it. I feel that in this ad the subject's physical fitness level only further enforces the message. TIME magazine speculates on the ad's possible exploitation of overweight people in the following article: http://healthland.time.com/2012/08/13/does-nikes-greatness-ad-featuring-an-obese-boy-exploit-fat-people/. The overall consensus from the article was that the ad is inspiring, not offensive, and I agree. 

"Find Your Greatness" is an effective ad because of the time it was released and the simple but clear message it conveys. The simplicity; no music, no props, no complicated plot line, makes this ad stand out while still reaching its audience and leaving them feeling motivated, as it did for me. 

Nike has a huge social media following. Though this campaign was launched back in July, you can still find regular inspirational tweets under #findyourgreatness on Twitter. If the ad motivates you to "Find Your Greatness," Nike has an online platform called Nike+, where users can measure and track their progress through using Nike accessories, share their progress with friends and more. 

Earlier I emphasized that I don't feel the need to track my miles, or share my "greatness" with others. However after analyzing the message of this ad and doing further research on the ad campaign, it makes me feel prouder to call myself a runner and I might consider using Nike+ to track my progress, in case I ever feel the need to take my running from the recreational level to the competitive level. I would also recommend this ad to others as a medium of motivation. The "Find Your Greatness," campaign has taught me the power of inspiration that advertisements can have, and reinforces the idea that an ad can create an emotional bond with its brand. I have been a consumer of Nike products and this ad encourages me to continue to be a consumer, along with sharing its message of inspiring to be "great."