Looking in Particular at Two Nike Adverts, Is It Fair to Say the Representation of a Celebrity Dictates an Adverts Success?

Looking in particular at two Nike adverts, is it fair to say the representation of a celebrity dictates an adverts success?

"Representation can be defined as the world of political representative. The media gives images, ways of imagining particular groups which can have material effects on how those groups experience the world, and how they get understood, or even legislated for by others". Nike for years has represented their celebrities as sport idols, all knowing, talented humans who are so because they've indulged in the Nike brand. "The celebrities are The Names that need no further identification. Those who know them so far exceed those of whom they know as to require no exact computation. Wherever they go, they are recognized, and moreover, recognized with some excitement and awe. Whatever they do has publicity value. More or less continuously, over a period of time, they are the material for the media of communication and entertainment. And, when that time ends - as it must - and the celebrity still lives - as he may - from time to time it may be asked 'Remember him?, That is what celebrity means.".

"The celebrity world is one of the most potent sources of cultural meaning at the disposal of the marketing system and the individual consumer". Whether doing what they are best at, or shifting into other domains structurally related to the expertise that they have developed to become famous, celebrities are clearly important intermediaries in the channelling of meanings from one sphere of culture to another, as well as - crucially - from the economy to culture and back again. It is the use of celebrity endorsements in advertising that integrates celebrities as people, the products that they pitch, and the corporate institutions on whose behalves they act, into the name economy. A celebrity endorser may be defined as "any individual who enjoys public recognition and who uses this recognition on behalf of a consumer good by appearing with it in an advertisement". The importance attributed to such advertising may be seen in the estimate that nowadays in the U.S. twenty per cent of all TV commercials feature a famous person and that ten per cent of all advertising dollars are spent on celebrity endorsements.

Nike is presented as one of those few brands (coca cola being the obvious comparison) for which its logo, 'the tick or swoosh', has become globally recognisable a symbol laden with distinctive and often shared meaning. Robert and Goldman argue that Nike and its advertising agency , Wieden and Kennedy, have taken the 'swoosh' an empty sign in 1971, and invested it with specific meaning systems based on a 'Nike ethos' of transcendence, individuality and authenticity. Through constantly transforming, locally-specific advertising campaigns, the 'swoosh' has developed a flexibility which achieves contextual appeal whilst undertowed by a global metacommunication - the 'Nike Ethos'. They believe Nike adverts are clever. They are reflexive and boundaryless and wade deep into the politics of race and gender and yet somehow, almost always, emerge unscathed credible, (hyper)authentic. "They are protected by underlying irreverence, an agreement lying deep within the swoosh which accepts that these are only adverts, that 'we are just trying to sell you something'. The Nike brand thrives on the multi-textual appellation of different sub-cultures, an almost spiritual realism which connects with individual aspirations and leads us to a convincingly separate spirituality - the consumer cathedrals of the Nike world"

Nike is worshipped in the USA, but by 1997 they are global players trying like any other sports brand to establish their football credentials. Nike's 'Parklife' advert directed by Jonathan Glazer showed that they too understood football from the grass roots up. Tony Malcolm the writer says " there has always been a lot of glamour involved with Nike advertising, we were trying to appeal to regular Sunday league footballers, saying its not about glamour or fashion" The beginning of the advert opens with an overhead shot of a stereotypical set of 'Sunday league' amateur football pitches. The soundtrack is played from the beginning, a well fitted track called 'Parklife' by Blur, a very British, grungy, unglamorous band. The following shots cut to numerous football matches being played on the different pitches. There are various football kits being worn to symbolise the opposing teams, although there is no advertising on the shirts and they are very typical of those you'd find being worn by amateurs., this gives the audience an initial identification with the characters and our understanding and enjoyment of the advert is almost entirely on our reading of the setting, of identification of the celebrities and other characters and on our skills as a modern audience at decoding symbolic, referential and metonymical codes. We are quickly introduced to the celebrities who include Neil Ruddock, Eric Cantona, David Seaman, Robbie Fowler and Ian Wright. Although they are playing on different teams and with 'regular' football players they are easily identified as the shot is stilled with a somewhat distorted close up of their face as they are mid air or mid strike. The advert represents the celebrities still as their 'hero' stereotypes, with Ian Wright scoring a goal and David Seaman saving a goal, but also as subversions of these typical roles representing the celebrities as 'regular' people who are easily identifiable and accessible to the common football player. The advert has cut-ins of narrative from the different matches, from cheering to a shouting match between players. The advert also portrays humour, with Ian Wright celebrating his goal with a dance and the 'pile on' celebration of Robbie fowler's team. This is a very different approach and representation of celebrities compared to other (mainly American) Nike adverts where the celebrities are often seen as 'above' or at a higher level than the average sportsperson. This is not to say that these adverts were not successful in their own right, but successful in a different way. Perhaps it is fair to say that the 'Parklife' advert was successful at reaching the intended audience and as Benji Wilson from 'Private Eye' says "Nike had built its sponsorship on American stars, and to bring in celebrities such as Robbie Fowler and Ian Wright and still make you feel as they still fit in with that brand is a great bit of marketing."

The advert also features