Sabrina Abramovitz, The Making of A Legend: Michael Jordan
When it comes to marketing and mythology, Nike is amongst the best in the world, an attribute they have earned after hundreds of millions of dollars in commercial expenditure.But Nike’s efforts and resources have created a global product, enormous brand-name selling power, and some of the most successful commercial campaigns in history.In fact, the company believes that it has mastered consumerism to the point where it can now change the way it now operates.Nike President Mark Parker declared that changing the way people shop is a goal for his company, as well as expanding business even more and reaching $23 billion in global revenue (Skidmore).A huge part of that success and the future plans of Nike Inc. has been their Jordan brand subsidiary.Jordan’s enormous success coupled with Nike’s marketing expertise has transformed the man and the company into the most recognizable brand names on the planet.Michael Jordan has reached a status comparable to a deity to many sports fans across the world.With the combination of superior athletic talent and commercialization, Michael Jordan has transcended the game of basketball and become an icon of victory.The evolution of campaign advertisements and the evolution of what Nike has turned Michael Jordan into is “legendary.”Nike’s enormous financial success is the result of the combination of strong advertising strategies and Michael Jordan’s elite status within his sport and society.
The Nike Corporation began mystifying Michael Jordan in 1988 when Jordan collaborated with Spike Lee to produce a series of commercials promoting his Air Jordan line of shoes. In this advertisement, Jordan is made out to be “the best player in the universe” as stated by Mars (Spike Lee).By crowning Jordan with this title, Nike is elevating Jordan’s status by making this claim.Also, this is the first step in making Michael Jordan more than just an icon. The commercial focuses on Jordan’s shoes, after all they are what Nike says makes him the best player.Even with Jordan continually denying that the shoes are responsible for his greatness, Nike concludes with the statement: “Mr. Jordan’s opinions do not necessarily reflect those of Nike, Inc.”Jordan’s ability to dominate the sport of basketball is already known and now he is speaking to the consumer about how he is able to achieve that status.Nike is using Jordan’s celebrity status to influence the consumer into buying Air Jordans, which are more than a product, but a promise, proposed by Vance Packard in The Hidden Persuaders, or more specifically, in this case, selling the skills needed to play with the same talent as Michael (Packard 8).Air Jordans offer not just a shoe, but a pledge to its consumers that they can achieve greatness by sporting these particular sneakers.Packard further asserts that “[r]esults of their [motivational operators] maneuvers indicate they are still quite a way from being infallible” (Packard 9).Indeed, a shoe cannot lend the necessary skills to a person in order to make them the best but by using Michael Jordan’s status as a celebrity, the ad is using the power of persuasion.In addition, by evoking Jordan’s reputation as a great basketball player, Nike is using the celebrity status to brand the sport.In “The Brand Expands,” Naomi Klein states that this is the first step for Nike in transcending sporting events and athletes and becoming the “very definition of sports itself” (Klein).Similarly, this commercial is allowing Jordan to transcend his sport and become a symbol of greatness. Michael Jordan’s evolution from being a celebrity within the sport to completely transcending and embodying the sport becomes evident in later commercials that will soon be discussed.
Continuing to use his influence, Michael Jordan’s product line moved from selling just shoes to selling all types of sports apparel.The evolution of the advertisements used to sell his product no longer include Jordan himself displaying his product or promoting it directly, but instead others replicating his mannerisms and wearing the Jordan apparel. It is here that his influence has become undeniably recognizable as his mentality and play have permeated all aspects of the sport. Based on the older Jordan commercials, like the one with Spike Lee, basketball players of all ages have learned to look up to Michael Jordan and to mimic his abilities.In this commercial, every athlete’s dream to elevate their level of play to that of Michael Jordan is achieved.The commercial is a series of scenes showing players of different ages, ethnicities, and genders mimicking Jordan’s signature moves as they overcome their opponents.This further emphasizes the message of the previous commercial: that by buying Jordan products, the consumer can typify Jordan’s qualities and emulate his play. The only glimpse of Jordan that we see is at the end, where he is nodding approvingly.The use of diverse characters achieving Jordan’s success provides Nike with the chance to illustrate how anyone has the potential for this kind of greatness and allows for anyone to feel as though they have some of Jordan’s ability within them as well.The advertisement brings the seemingly transcendent qualities of Jordan down to Earth, and into the hands of the consumer.
Yet, the idea of offering more than the product is still woven into this advertisement.Everything is Jordan’s: the shoes, the clothes, the moves.Jordan’s influence on basketball, along with his character, influenced more than just the game; it influenced culture.Thomas Frank, author of The Conquest of Cool, supports the idea that companies do not just sell a product, but a way of life (Frank 171). Frank analyzed the effects of “The Cola Wars” and how Pepsi’s marketing campaign wasn’t trying to sell a product, but to establish an ideal and attitude that the consumer could strive for and relate themselves to (Frank 170).That is precisely the goal of Nike in their Jordan advertisements.Nike takes ideals and principles that are prevalent within the world of sports, and then markets these concepts through the ultimate example of success:Michael Jordan.At the conclusion of the commercial there is the statement: “Let your game speak.”With this statement, Nike attempts to create an image for the consumer of their product, rather than the product itself, which is exactly what Pepsi did with their Pepsi People campaign (Frank 170).The result is that with the attitude promoted Nike becomes a concept or image that the consumer identifies with, and through their consumption, the consumer attempts to “make a statement about the wearer’s… personality” (Frank 170).For Nike, by using these strategies it has resulted in a loyal and expansive consumer base that symbolizes triumph.
Nike’s success with the advertisement of Michael Jordan comes from the fact that he is the unchallenged paradigm for basketball and represents the ultimate goal of all athletes within the sport.There is nothing above Michael Jordan in the sport of basketball.In the most recent Nike advertisement of Michael Jordan’s, he discredits the perception that his success came with ease and was the result of pure, God-given talent. The advertisement employs many of the same mechanisms that the previous advertisements did.They acknowledge, and even showcase, his successes but reduce him to the status of human in order to associate him more closely to the consumers buying his product.But the commercial ends with the words: “Become Legendary” and the commercial suggests that with the right tools, anyone can achieve Jordan’s status. This commercial subconsciously influences the consumer by offering the promise of greatness, or legendary status.As Packard describes: “in the buying situation, the consumer generally acts emotionally and compulsively, unconsciously reacting to the image and designs which in the subconscious are associated with the product” (Packard 8).The commercial is highly inspirational and offers a blueprint on how to “become legendary” by revealing that basketball was not a God-given gift for Michael, rather “something he worked for every single day of his life.”The promise is there, and people will buy Nike products because of it.
Nike turned Michael Jordan into basketball, and in turn he has catapulted the company into a position as the global powerhouse when it comes to sports apparel.He embodies success within basketball, and is idolized by athletes in all sports.Nike has obviously acknowledged the enormous impact and success of the Jordan campaign and has taken steps to secure and develop his commercial heir.Lebron James was signed to an enormous contract and is marketed the same way as Jordan with much of the same success.
Look familiar?
Works Cited
Frank, Thomas.“ Carnival and Cola: Hip Versus in the Cola Wars”.The Conquest of Cool. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.1997.107-183.
Klein, Naomi.“The Brand Expands: How the Logo Grabbed Center Stage.”No Logo. Macmillan.2002.
Packard, Vance.“ The Depth Approach”.The Hidden Persuaders.Pocket Books.1970. 3-113.
Skidmore, Sarah.“Nike to change shopping experience.”The Boston Globe.Mar. 2007 Associated Press.1 April 2008.
There is an interesting progression in these commercials.. The newer commercial does not even mention a product. Nike trusts in the image they have built in the commercials such as the older ones. Michael Jordan does not even have to appear in the beginning of the commercial for the consumer to understand what the images are referring to. The final commercial focuses on character rather than material things. Do you think there is a point where the commercial becomes almost too implicit? The final commercial does not mention Nike at all and does not seem to be directed at a specific product. The game almost seems to have consumed the product. However this also speaks to the impact of the brand on the culture. Nike feels they do not have to promote a specific product but a way of life but communicate an inspiration for sports to sell their product.
I definitely think there is a noticeable progression throughout the history of these advertisements. In the early days, as shown in the commercial with Spike Lee, the shoes themselves are the focal point. They are shown up close and in your face, and Nike claims that they must be the reason that Jordan is the greatest player in the universe. As the product line and the image of Jordan grew to be as recognizable worldwide as the golden arches of McDonalds, the latter ads can successfully market the product with no reference to them, and instead portray an image of character and hard work. Do you think as the years pass, and younger generations who see Carmelo Anthony and Lebron James as in the commercial you posted will fail to understand the implicit nature of the ad due to its reliance on so much of past recognition? Do you see this posing a threat to the rich history of the Jordan line, and do you think Nike will once again in the future resort back to in your face ads that actually feature a product?
Michael Jordan is one of the creators of modern basketball. He was the first to wear long shorts in the NBA and I think one of the first to have his own shoe. He is now the living legend that many currnent NBA players mimicked when they were growing up and aspired to be like. This is likely an explanation from any player who wears the number 23 today. His impact on the game and integration of advertising into the sport is unparalleled. You gave an interesting look into how the game and commericals about the game have evolved since the Jordan-era. I would also even compare Sprite's series of ads that center upon streetball to this too. Jordan is the game, and it's amazing that he still is impacting how things are done even post-retirement.
Nike and Michael Jordan have come together to put out very powerful and meaningful advertisements over the years. I think that the honesty and the inspiration inside these ads have a lot to do with Nike's success. I really enjoyed reading your post and would have liked to learn more about which aspects of our society are responding so positively to Nike. How is Nike's ad campaign affecting our society? I was really interested in Nike's approach because with Apple they want to personify the brand (PC vs. Mac), but Nike is using another method by portraying itself as a tool or instrument to bring about success. Michael Jordan serves to bring hope to consumers that they will be able to emulate him and associate with the brand's personality.
The disappearance of a specific product is really unusual and noticeable in recent advertisements but I doubt that will have any effect on the legendary status of Michael Jordan, or his marketability. Nike builds product line reputation not only on Jordan’s successes but also on the everyday successes of the average consumer. The commercial for the Jordan 21, I think, really resonated with the average buyer, who never has a career of signature moves but rather solitary moments of greatness, occasionally captured on camera. Given LeBron James’ age and relative newness to the professional league, the new advertisement for him could be seen as a mere extension of one of the players in the 21 ad. Especially since he, too, wears the number 23, James seems more of the second-coming of Jordan instead of someone who can knock Jordan off his throne. As long as the reputation and consumer willingness to mimic the lifestyle perseveres, the legend will outlast the man.
In the first commercial I find it interesting that Nike is able to embrace the idea of a company taking advantage of the situation to suit their own needs. They do not go so far as Sprite did in Merchants of Cool to poke fun at companies’ attempts to use famous people to push their brands, by in the comment “Mr. Jordan’s opinions do not necessarily reflect those of Nike, Inc.” I feel they are allowing the idea that they have capitalized on the situation to enter the minds of their viewers. Perhaps it is because the commercial is obviously a joke. I disagree that this commercial is creating a promise to go along with their brand (the Air Jordans). At no time does Michael Jordan say that the shoes help him in any way. The only people who do are the people who make the shoes. I believe this commercial was aimed to cash in on having Michael Jordan in a commercial and on the comedy within the commercial. Though I am sure you are correct that the idea behind Air Jordans is that they will give you a great advantage in sports (namely basketball) I did not see that represented in this advertisement. If anything I saw the opposite in the first commercial, though in the later commercials this idea became apparent.
I think it is interesting that the first ad with Michael Jordan was in 1988. At that point Jordan hadn' won a championship and he hadn't won an MVP award. By signing Jordan at an early age, and creating this brand before Jordan became the basketball god he is today, Nike impacted the face of advertising. If Jordan hadn't been as good, Nike's ads would not still resonate today. It is interesting to see this progression over time, from the promotion of the brand as the only thing we see, to not even seeing a brand in the latest ads. I think they might try to do the same things with other players such as Lebron, but if Lebron doesn't become a transcendent superstar if he wins a couple of awards, but not championships then the brand will not be as successful as it has been with Jordan. I feel like Nike was somewhat lucky (smart?) in signing Jordan at a young age, and having become who he did.
This analysis of Nike's hugely successful marketing campaign centered around Jordan was very well done. Despite being retired, Jordan still appears in their commercials and is truly a cultural icon. I agree that his ability and mentality are extraordinary. but i think Jordan in general has been elevated almost to the level of God, and much of it is due to to Nike's commercials constantly reinforcing the incredible aspects of Jordan's careers. A comment before noted that perhaps Nike had been lucky/smart for signing Jordan. I think they were smart in the same way that they were smart with Lebron at a young age. Although there have been plenty of incredible athletes entering the NBA (Bryant, Anthony, Paul etc.), Nike execs understand that its not only ability, but also heart that sells shoes, and those men have an abundance of both.
I really enjoyed reading this paper and comparing and contrasting it to my own on a similar topic. The Spike Lee commercial, shared in both papers, is a great representation of the marketing scheme that both Nike and Jordan Brand try to present. I really enjoyed the analysis of the progression of Michael Jordan from great basketball player, to basketball diety, to hard-working guy. This structure really does act to sell the product and make Jordan a transcendental figure in sports that allows him to sell more than any specifically celebrity endorsement can. The integration of Nike into the America's mental cognition of "sports" is central to both papers and I thought you did a very good job describing how this fusion was achieved.
Today, Nike and Jordan do not even have to be said in the advertisements. The symbols alone are enough to promote the ideas of the advertisements. They know that when someone sees a Nike sign, they know what that means. The symbol has become something on its own. In the early ads, Jordan sneakers were the focal point. As time has progressed, the sneakers are not as focused on, but rather the athlete that sports the shoes is important. It gives the audience the feeling that if I work as hard as this athlete and wear these shoes, I will be as good as him. Although the shoes will not actually make us better, the Hidden Persuaders that you speak about in your paper are extremely important in selling the shoes. I find it extremely interesting that you draw similarities between the Hidden Persuaders and Nike advertisers because that is exactly what Nike is doing. They have taken a symbol of Michael Jordan and transformed it into a lifestyle. Even though we know we can not be as good as him, there is something inside us that makes us think that there is a possibility of greatness with the purchase of a new pair of Jordans.
It was interesting to see how Nike used such icons as Micheal Jordan to sell their product. They would use Micheal Jordan in multiple ads in order to associate the American icon with the Nike product. In doing so, I believe that consumers began to connect the fame and mystic of Jordan to the brand of Nike. I think that this is the reason that the commercial hyped Micheal Jordan as much as it hyped their shoe product. By using Micheal Jordan as a figure head for Nike, hype for Jordan meant hype for his Nike shoes. This is fascinating because it is almost an indirect form of advertising, yet it proves just as successful as a more direct approach.
I really enjoyed the way you uncover the methods Nike used to evolve the word “Jordan” into an idea (success, athleticism, superiority) rather than a man. The name, which once generated visions of a basketball player, now oozes with an aura of victory and accomplishment – the feeling of being the best. Your examination of the evolution of the advertisements paralleling the evolution of MJ’s career is fantastic, and makes me wonder what athletes in the future will be able to reach that status, if any. Tiger Woods, perhaps, now with his own Gatorade? Lebron James, with his overtaking of the lead role in these Jordan ads?
12 comments:
There is an interesting progression in these commercials.. The newer commercial does not even mention a product. Nike trusts in the image they have built in the commercials such as the older ones. Michael Jordan does not even have to appear in the beginning of the commercial for the consumer to understand what the images are referring to. The final commercial focuses on character rather than material things. Do you think there is a point where the commercial becomes almost too implicit? The final commercial does not mention Nike at all and does not seem to be directed at a specific product. The game almost seems to have consumed the product. However this also speaks to the impact of the brand on the culture. Nike feels they do not have to promote a specific product but a way of life but communicate an inspiration for sports to sell their product.
I definitely think there is a noticeable progression throughout the history of these advertisements. In the early days, as shown in the commercial with Spike Lee, the shoes themselves are the focal point. They are shown up close and in your face, and Nike claims that they must be the reason that Jordan is the greatest player in the universe. As the product line and the image of Jordan grew to be as recognizable worldwide as the golden arches of McDonalds, the latter ads can successfully market the product with no reference to them, and instead portray an image of character and hard work. Do you think as the years pass, and younger generations who see Carmelo Anthony and Lebron James as in the commercial you posted will fail to understand the implicit nature of the ad due to its reliance on so much of past recognition? Do you see this posing a threat to the rich history of the Jordan line, and do you think Nike will once again in the future resort back to in your face ads that actually feature a product?
Michael Jordan is one of the creators of modern basketball. He was the first to wear long shorts in the NBA and I think one of the first to have his own shoe. He is now the living legend that many currnent NBA players mimicked when they were growing up and aspired to be like. This is likely an explanation from any player who wears the number 23 today. His impact on the game and integration of advertising into the sport is unparalleled. You gave an interesting look into how the game and commericals about the game have evolved since the Jordan-era. I would also even compare Sprite's series of ads that center upon streetball to this too. Jordan is the game, and it's amazing that he still is impacting how things are done even post-retirement.
Nike and Michael Jordan have come together to put out very powerful and meaningful advertisements over the years. I think that the honesty and the inspiration inside these ads have a lot to do with Nike's success. I really enjoyed reading your post and would have liked to learn more about which aspects of our society are responding so positively to Nike. How is Nike's ad campaign affecting our society? I was really interested in Nike's approach because with Apple they want to personify the brand (PC vs. Mac), but Nike is using another method by portraying itself as a tool or instrument to bring about success. Michael Jordan serves to bring hope to consumers that they will be able to emulate him and associate with the brand's personality.
The disappearance of a specific product is really unusual and noticeable in recent advertisements but I doubt that will have any effect on the legendary status of Michael Jordan, or his marketability. Nike builds product line reputation not only on Jordan’s successes but also on the everyday successes of the average consumer. The commercial for the Jordan 21, I think, really resonated with the average buyer, who never has a career of signature moves but rather solitary moments of greatness, occasionally captured on camera. Given LeBron James’ age and relative newness to the professional league, the new advertisement for him could be seen as a mere extension of one of the players in the 21 ad. Especially since he, too, wears the number 23, James seems more of the second-coming of Jordan instead of someone who can knock Jordan off his throne. As long as the reputation and consumer willingness to mimic the lifestyle perseveres, the legend will outlast the man.
In the first commercial I find it interesting that Nike is able to embrace the idea of a company taking advantage of the situation to suit their own needs. They do not go so far as Sprite did in Merchants of Cool to poke fun at companies’ attempts to use famous people to push their brands, by in the comment “Mr. Jordan’s opinions do not necessarily reflect those of Nike, Inc.” I feel they are allowing the idea that they have capitalized on the situation to enter the minds of their viewers. Perhaps it is because the commercial is obviously a joke. I disagree that this commercial is creating a promise to go along with their brand (the Air Jordans). At no time does Michael Jordan say that the shoes help him in any way. The only people who do are the people who make the shoes. I believe this commercial was aimed to cash in on having Michael Jordan in a commercial and on the comedy within the commercial. Though I am sure you are correct that the idea behind Air Jordans is that they will give you a great advantage in sports (namely basketball) I did not see that represented in this advertisement. If anything I saw the opposite in the first commercial, though in the later commercials this idea became apparent.
I think it is interesting that the first ad with Michael Jordan was in 1988. At that point Jordan hadn' won a championship and he hadn't won an MVP award. By signing Jordan at an early age, and creating this brand before Jordan became the basketball god he is today, Nike impacted the face of advertising. If Jordan hadn't been as good, Nike's ads would not still resonate today. It is interesting to see this progression over time, from the promotion of the brand as the only thing we see, to not even seeing a brand in the latest ads. I think they might try to do the same things with other players such as Lebron, but if Lebron doesn't become a transcendent superstar if he wins a couple of awards, but not championships then the brand will not be as successful as it has been with Jordan. I feel like Nike was somewhat lucky (smart?) in signing Jordan at a young age, and having become who he did.
This analysis of Nike's hugely successful marketing campaign centered around Jordan was very well done. Despite being retired, Jordan still appears in their commercials and is truly a cultural icon. I agree that his ability and mentality are extraordinary. but i think Jordan in general has been elevated almost to the level of God, and much of it is due to to Nike's commercials constantly reinforcing the incredible aspects of Jordan's careers. A comment before noted that perhaps Nike had been lucky/smart for signing Jordan. I think they were smart in the same way that they were smart with Lebron at a young age. Although there have been plenty of incredible athletes entering the NBA (Bryant, Anthony, Paul etc.), Nike execs understand that its not only ability, but also heart that sells shoes, and those men have an abundance of both.
I really enjoyed reading this paper and comparing and contrasting it to my own on a similar topic. The Spike Lee commercial, shared in both papers, is a great representation of the marketing scheme that both Nike and Jordan Brand try to present. I really enjoyed the analysis of the progression of Michael Jordan from great basketball player, to basketball diety, to hard-working guy. This structure really does act to sell the product and make Jordan a transcendental figure in sports that allows him to sell more than any specifically celebrity endorsement can. The integration of Nike into the America's mental cognition of "sports" is central to both papers and I thought you did a very good job describing how this fusion was achieved.
Today, Nike and Jordan do not even have to be said in the advertisements. The symbols alone are enough to promote the ideas of the advertisements. They know that when someone sees a Nike sign, they know what that means. The symbol has become something on its own. In the early ads, Jordan sneakers were the focal point. As time has progressed, the sneakers are not as focused on, but rather the athlete that sports the shoes is important. It gives the audience the feeling that if I work as hard as this athlete and wear these shoes, I will be as good as him. Although the shoes will not actually make us better, the Hidden Persuaders that you speak about in your paper are extremely important in selling the shoes. I find it extremely interesting that you draw similarities between the Hidden Persuaders and Nike advertisers because that is exactly what Nike is doing. They have taken a symbol of Michael Jordan and transformed it into a lifestyle. Even though we know we can not be as good as him, there is something inside us that makes us think that there is a possibility of greatness with the purchase of a new pair of Jordans.
It was interesting to see how Nike used such icons as Micheal Jordan to sell their product. They would use Micheal Jordan in multiple ads in order to associate the American icon with the Nike product. In doing so, I believe that consumers began to connect the fame and mystic of Jordan to the brand of Nike. I think that this is the reason that the commercial hyped Micheal Jordan as much as it hyped their shoe product. By using Micheal Jordan as a figure head for Nike, hype for Jordan meant hype for his Nike shoes. This is fascinating because it is almost an indirect form of advertising, yet it proves just as successful as a more direct approach.
I really enjoyed the way you uncover the methods Nike used to evolve the word “Jordan” into an idea (success, athleticism, superiority) rather than a man. The name, which once generated visions of a basketball player, now oozes with an aura of victory and accomplishment – the feeling of being the best. Your examination of the evolution of the advertisements paralleling the evolution of MJ’s career is fantastic, and makes me wonder what athletes in the future will be able to reach that status, if any. Tiger Woods, perhaps, now with his own Gatorade? Lebron James, with his overtaking of the lead role in these Jordan ads?
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