Write the Future

Nike once again is selling the idea of an athletic lifestyle in this “Write the Future” commercial.  Nike, as in all of their ads, intends to not sell a specific piece of the equipment that they produce.  Instead, they want to sell their idea of sport to the world.  This commercial was released right before the World Cup, as Nike took advantage of the perfect kairos for an advertisement like this.  Nike not only wants to show off their equipment, but just show the World Cup.  They use some of the world’s most famous players so as to appeal to even the American lack of soccer knowledge.  Nike wants to show that sports, and in this particular case the World Cup, transcend the traditional ideas that most non-athletes or fans have.  Sports are a lifestyle in Nike’s eyes.  They use every player, especially Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo, to show the effects every action in a game has on the world.  “Write the Future” itself is even a ploy to sell athletic success.  Nike wants people to feel the need for this success because every successful athlete starts with nice equipment.  Everybody knows that Nike can provide the equipment to make you that star athlete that has the world hanging on every single move you make on the field.  The commercial wants the viewer to believe that society is built around sports, which would make Nike’s products necessary for life.  Nike always does a great job of connecting life and sports, and this commercial is no different.  Nike appeals to the sense of wonder of the viewer, who sees the pure star power of the soccer players.  They want the audience to say to themselves, “Hey I can be that good if I get some Nike gear!” This is clearly not true, but Nike, as always, gets its point across. 

Nike's Courage Ad

            Nike is known for their slogan, “Just do it.”  Usually the company only shows big name athletes, who excel at their sport.  However, this advertisement is different.  Instead of sticking to the champions, Nike decides to use pictures of non-athletes, as well as animals, in an attempt to show the average consumer that Nike praises everyone that shows courage.  This commercial is fixed around the idea that “everything you need is already inside.”  Nike uses pictures of athletes, like Lance Armstrong and Kobe Bryant, to show the pinnacle of athleticism, but this Nike ad goes beyond the normal constraints of athleticism.  Instead, Nike finishes their commercial with the usual “Just do it” slogan over a double amputee sprinter.  This sprinter, Oscar Pistorius, is what represents the pinnacle of courage.  Nike uses the ethos of Pistorius to show the true meaning of “Just do it.”  Along the way are pictures of Lance Armstrong, another athlete who is always looked at for not only his dominance in sport, but his courageous battle against cancer.  Another key to this commercial is the pictures of different nerves and x-rays.  This is an obvious reference to the fact that all of the athletes in the commercial are, in fact, human.  Nike often suffers from the idea that they only appeal to athletes, when in fact their clothing and shoes are made for everyone.  The short camera clips serve the purpose of this ad.  The short cuts have become a staple of Nike commercials.  Also, the music choice, “I Got Soul But I’m Not a Soldier,” plays on the idea that, even though you are not an athlete, you have the ability to be one.  Nike uses this ad to extend the idea of “Just do it” to everyone, instead of just athletes.

The Most Interesting Man in the World

  
    Dos Equis now employs the most interesting spokesperson in the world.  As most beer company commercials do, Dos Equis tries to appeal to the manliness of their viewers.  This "most interesting man" is a random assortment of videos that does not go along with the narrator's lines.  The narrator’s words do not make sense, but they are not supposed to.  Videos of the man bringing up treasure from the ocean or him running from the fox hunters with a fox in his arms add to the legend of the Most Interesting Man.  With their spokesman, Dos Equis tries to display the class of their beer.  Just the beard alone draws on some of the ideas of the manliness and class.  The gray colored beard shows the wisdom and experience that every man wants.  Only the best of men get to drink Dos Equis according to the Most Interesting Man in the World.  Most beer commercials play on the younger man, who is just partying all the time.  Dos Equis goes with a completely different approach.  Their man sits in a dimly lit bar surrounded by both men and women, who seem to just be listening intently to his every word.  No bikinis, no football, just one man dressed in nice clothes, drinking his beer with friends. Even his catchphrase makes it seem like a mature and wise man’s beer.  “I don’t always drink beer, but when I do I prefer Dos Equis.”  This appeals more to the logos of most men.  Most guys are not drinking beer all the time, like the people in other beer commercials.  They want to be like the Dos Equis man: calm, cool and collected.  Dos Equis becomes more than just a beer with the addition of this “most interesting man in the world.”  Dos Equis represents a new lifestyle choice.

Jon Stewart Does Glenn Beck

Jon Stewart is known for his ability to turn rhetoric on the original speaker.  One of his most common victims is Glenn Beck.  In this video, Stewart uses Beck's own rhetoric and props to show the insanity of Beck's usual spiel.  Stewart's use of the absurd rhetoric not only inspires laughs, but also deeper thought into exactly what Glenn Beck really stands for.  The Daily Show host mocks the pundit's use of visuals and props.   The use of these props usually is one of Beck’s go-to moves when giving his discourse on his show.  Therefore, Stewart’s use of props not only gets the message that Beck should not be trusted across.  Jon Stewart’s ability to take a person who many people disagree with, like Beck, and turn him into a laughing stock is what keeps viewers attached to the Daily Show.  Stewart’s mannerisms and different tones of voice make the audience realize just how crazy the spiel sounds, accomplishing his overall goal.  Beck often uses fear to get his message across to his loyal viewers so Stewart decided to try to act like he was imposing fear into his audience.  No matter what your opinion of the Daily Show is, the one thing that Jon Stewart knows is his audience.  The people watching Stewart, who are typically Liberals, love to see him make fun of Conservatives.  There is no person targeted more often than Glenn Beck, who stands to be the opposite of Stewart’s Daily Show role.  Jon Stewart’s ability to not only give his own rhetoric but to criticize other’s use of rhetoric is what makes his show so effective.  This example of his destruction of Glenn Beck’s rhetoric shows this perfectly.

I Believe in Brothers

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