I have to say that this ad doesn’t appeal to me at all, which is exactly what Nike wanted. It has a target audience and I’m not in it. To me it’s boring and really doesn’t capture my attention since I’m not a runner and not in the market to buy running shoes any time soon. If I saw it in a magazine I’d probably glance over it and turn the page without giving it a second thought. The fact that I could never run long distance probably has a lot to do with how I feel about running in general. Getting people who aren’t in the target audience to largely ignore the ad and not get upset, offended, or confused by it is a good marketing strategy. It allows the company to say exactly what it wants to say directly to its target audience.
The product is designed for runners but the audience for this ad is narrower. The target audience seems to be current costumers who have bought running shoes from Nike before. The phrase “old and the same” is used because Nike wants its current (and satisfied) customers to know that this shoe has whatever they liked about Nike’s other shoes. “New and improved” reassures them that this shoe is better than what they made before and it also convinces them that they should buy it.
The juxtaposition of words that are the opposite of each other (new and old, improved and the same) is a play on the idea that people like what they have and don’t want to change (or buy something else), yet always want something new and better. This appeals to all of the potential buyers Nike is targeting. I’m probably not the best judge of what a runner likes or wants in a shoe, but this ad seems like the target audience would like it.
Four college students with a unique view of the world
MS
I am a junior majoring in International Studies and Spanish. After college I would like to join the Peace Corps, and later live somewhere not in Wisconsin. My major has left me with a deeper understanding of world geography, politics, and societies. The Middle East has been my main specialization, but I have a background in Latin America and the EU as well. Other than current affairs, I really like coffee, and eventually way in the future, I hope to open a coffee/music shop. I love music of all types (with some minor exceptions), and there is always a song that fits perfectly with my mood.
JB
I’m a junior at the University of Wisconsin – Madison studying economics. I enjoy traveling, playing video games with friends, watching movies, and reading. When I’m not in class or studying I’m usually doing one of those things or spending time on the Internet reading the news or chatting with friends. After finishing school I hope to travel more and live in a bigger city.
JE
The first thing you should know about me is that I am not your average college student. I am a morning person and I have no taste for coffee. What makes me a morning person? The answer is simple, my very sweet, yet oftentimes whiney, six month old chocolate lab. Besides spending time with my WOman’s best friend, I enjoy snowboarding, snowshoeing, camping, hiking, kayaking and cycling. As you can see, I prefer spending my free time in the outdoors. And when it comes to a Saturday night I prefer dinner and a movie on the couch to a night on the town. However, I spend the majority of my time buried in a textbook studying investment theory.
LG
I am about to graduate in May, not knowing where the next chapter of my life will take me exactly. I have an idea to a certain extent, but I have learned that the best things in life are unexpected and that I just need to accept the situations I am put into and make those most out of them. I have been living in Washington DC for the past six months where I was taking a seminar class, traveling and working at an internship. I came back to Madison for my final semester rejuvenated, challenged, matured, and more prepared for the next part of my life.
On the contrary, this ad appeals to me because I am a runner. However, I have not been using Nike shoes for my entire running career where the slogan proves to be false for me. I personally have not used the old version of the shoe, so it is hard to determine how "improved" they have become.
ReplyDeleteI do agree with you, that is only directed at a very limited audience: Runners. It could potentially hurt Nike when trying to grab the attention of new customers, because the ad is clearly directed to those who have been using the shoe before it was modified. However, I feel that they are not trying to appeal to new customers, they just want to maintain their loyal customers and show them that they have improved it just for their use.
I do think it is an effective advertisement due to the simple word choice for the slogan. The structural balance of the sentence seems to work with juxtaposing the two statements statement. What the advertisers are trying to conclude is that these two products (the old version of the shoe and the new) are similar but different, demonstrated by using the figure of speech contrarium.
It is interesting to look at this statement because many figures of speech are being used to appeal to this particular audience. Not only is it juxtaposing the two points, but the statement is an oxymoron and a paradox. The statement completely contradicts itself, but yet it works because it is the same product, just two versions.
In terms of space, the ad was incredibly successful. They were able to get their point across in a very limited amount of space.
As a consumer and kind of a member of the targeted audience, I think this ad was overall effective and would make me want to continue using the product. I think it is reassuring knowing that they are thinking of their loyal customers.