Evaluation of Nike’s Marketing Content, Including a Female Model

Advertisements are always surrounding us, showcasing new ideas and new styles, demanding that we try each and every one. Sometimes, they are emotional, catching us off guard. And sometimes they are very sexualized, making food a sensational item put placing a woman with it. I am going to be analyzing a Nike Advertisement with a woman on the image.

In the image, there is a young female, in her mid-twenties. Her hair is wet, skin bronzed, and she is clothed in only a sports bra and some legging shorts. The clothing is tight and gray, very simple. She is bent over and has her arms placed on her legs. It makes almost a P shape. Her head is held high, and it seems as if she is laughing at others. There is text along the bottom of the image that states, “Just because you’re a nice girl doesn’t mean you can’t have evil legs.” At the bottom right corner, there is the Nike swoosh and the word apparel underneath it.

The image is very well put together; the composition is nicely done. The way the body is placed along with the text makes it very visually appealing. It works in harmony because of the simplicity of what the women are wearing and the easy to read text.

There are very few colors in this piece. The background is a light, very pale blue. The women have brown hair, bronzed skin, and is wearing a gray outfit. The text is all black. Having simplistic colors make it easier to analyze. As mentioned previously, the women are shaped in a P form, making it interesting to the viewer. There is hardly any depth in this image, it is simply just a one sided image. That can be one of the downsides of the advertisement because there isn’t a whole lot to look at. Movement is nonexistent in this image. The women are mid-laugh which shows that she is excited or pumped about something.

Within this image, there are various semiotic signs and codes. The first one is a metonymic code. By looking at the image, and noting that it is for Nike, we automatically assume that the women likes to work out and is very active in life. There is also an analogical code. In the image, there is the reference that she is a nice girl, very kind and gentle. However, it makes a statement that she can have evil legs. This is noted as evil, not the devil or bad. This just means that the women will have killer legs, they will look great and amazing because she is wearing the Nike apparel. Displaced code is also a huge part of this image. Displaced code is when meaning is transferred from one set of signs to another. This really means that we can use phallic-shaped objects to showcase sexual tension. With almost any other image with females in it, there is sexual tension by looking at the image. The women are bent over, barley clothed. The text references that she is fit and healthy, so she looks gorgeous or hot.

I believe that audience will respond to this both negatively and positively. Women might look at the image and believe in themselves that they good look like her and work hard to get evil legs. Or women might look at the image and think that there is something wrong with themselves that they don’t look like her. Men might look at it negatively because some males believe that women shouldn’t lift and shouldn’t gain muscle. Or men might look at it positively and think that women in the image is hot and should work out to look like that.

The purpose of this image is to sell clothing. That is the main point of any advertisement really. However, it is also trying to showcase that if you wear this clothing, then you will be hot and have evil legs and will be happy like that girl. I also believe that in a way it is empowering women that maybe stray away from the gym and are the women that are nice and kind, that they could become badass as well and become fit and gorgeous. The image is very well done and gets its point across very well.

My initial gut reaction to the image is that women looks happy and healthy. She is fit and motivated and loves wearing Nike apparel. I also felt deep down that I wish I could look like her, which is a self-image issue that almost every girl faces when they look at sports advertisements with skinny models on them. The image fits into the context of history in that women begin fit and active has become more socially acceptable. There are more women entering into weight lifting competitions and you are seeing more fit models on the runways.

The image was produced by having a photoshoot of the women posing in different positons. It was transferred into a Photoshop document, where it was touched up and perfected. Color was modified and text was added to add more effect and meaning.

The image is intended to sell clothing apparel. The behavior that is depicted is a woman who is becoming strong and is somewhat sexualized. Viewers are expected to feel turned on by the image and want to buy the clothing that is pictured, or buy from that clothing company.

I couldn’t really find a lot of metaphors or symbols used in this work. If you take into the 21st century culture, it is common to see women in ads that are barely clothed, which this advertisement is. If I were to think of the story, I would imagine a woman who I struggling to be happy with her body. She is just normal, nothing out of the blue, a nice girl. She is introduced to Nike apparel and starts to begin to work out and become comfortable with her body. She starts to get “evil” legs and starts to become happier, pictured in the advertisement. I believe there is symbolism in the way that she is posed. It’s almost that she is laughing at the people that have always mocked her.

This particular image could bring upon debate on how we should picture women in the media. Should we clothe them in underwear and make them super skinny with bronzed skin? Or should we show them strong, and happy? I believe that this image took the best of both worlds. It showed a woman with little clothing, but she was strong and happy. The lesson learned here is to just be happy with your body. If you aren’t then there are many ways to change that. Just simply wear Nike clothing and you will be fierce.