Although advertising is not unfamiliar to me as an avid consumer of content, a significant portion of the psychological reasoning behind advertising was unknown to me. It is interesting to me that methods of advertising have shifted over time, and have gone from advertising individual products to a customer by presenting positive information about the product itself, to selling a lifestyle or an ideal that has little to nothing to do with the product. Instead of choosing products based on logistical information, customers are seeking feelings that are either associated with certain products or their advertisements. For example, advertisements create winners and losers– those who use the product and those who do not, or even more persuasively, those who are “not able to.” These products generally present a lifestyle of wealth and happiness that people link to individual products, even though they know that in reality that one product will not change their lives that drastically.
Somehow, even knowing that generic products are the same as “brand-name” products does not change the fact that those brand-name products are more appealing, because they are more easily recognizable, and “trusted.” In order to get a better understanding of how these psychological tricks are executed in advertisements, I watched a compilation of Super Bowl Ads from 2021. One of the most common things I noticed was references to history and pop culture that are designed to make the reader feel “included” and “special” as if they are a part of an inside joke. For example, the Amazon Alexa ad referenced the Bill Clinton Monica Lewinsky scandal, and there was a Mountain Dew commercial that was a play on an iconic scene from The Shining, a classic movie that people should understand the reference to, regardless of whether they have seen the film.
One commercial that stuck out to me during my life was the Nike Colin Kapernick “Dream Crazy” commercial, because it was so controversial and although the theme was about sports players, it made a broader statement about American society as a whole. During a time when Colin Kapernick’s decision to kneel during the National Anthem was extremely controversial (and still is), this ad focused on the importance of being the best one can be in every aspect of life, on and off the field. I remember watching it and being inspired and honestly surprised that Nike took the risk of potentially losing support by standing up for something that they believed in, equality for all. This commercial wasn’t about Nike products themselves, it was about what supporting Nike means and what their brand stands for.
I always think that Nike makes some of the best commercials. I find myself constantly sharing them across all social media platforms. I agree that the thing that makes this ad, but also every Nike ad special, is the fact that the ads are never truly product-based. The ads use their products to help convey a bigger message. Nike took a risk, as you mentioned, but like most things, context matters. Nike is a billion-dollar company that people know and love. I commend Nike for standing up for what they believe is right and supporting all athletes. Ads like this give Nike athletes an even bigger sense of pride wearing the swoosh, knowing that the company supports them both on and off the court.
Nike always has great commercials because they always take risks. In my marketing class, we spend a lot of time talking about Nike’s advertising strategies. They have a way of turning “Just Do It,” a simple slogan, into a massive brand. The Dream Crazy commercial is one of my favorites as well.