#4 No More Volleyball = Teenage Pregnancy?

Watch Video Here

 

If You Let Me Play

I will like myself more

 

I will have more self-confidence

 

I will suffer less depression

 

I will be 60% less likely to get breast cancer

 

I will be more likely to leave a man who beats me

 

I will be less likely to get pregnant before I want to

 

I will learn what it means to be strong

If you let me play sports.

 

 

For some reason this ad really irks me. I'm not exactly sure why. Maybe it's because I have no idea where Nike got those ideas from. Possibly from the Bag of Lies? Sounds likely. I agree with some of the statements, such as, "I will learn what it means to be strong" because I think sports do help people mentally with focusing and putting all of their energy into one thing and doing it well. No one likes to lose and they will do whatever it takes to win the game they are in. Except for those giver-uppers who shouldn't be playing sports anyways. I also agree with the statements, "I will have more confidence" because when people play sports and they become good at that sport they have confidence in the fact that they can do that thing and do it well and win games. However, I STRONGLY DISAGREE with the statements such as, "I will be 60% less likely to get breast cancer", "I will be more likely to leave a man who beats me", "I will be less likely to get pregnant before I want to". For the cancer statement, I guess they must have gotten that figure from somewhere, but I don't know how they would conduct that study. Ask people who have cancer, "do you play sports?" No, I don't think so. For the abuse statement, I don't even have words to describe how totally and completely WRONG that is! In my opinion sports does not provide a girl with what she needs to be able to leave a man who beats her. Leaving an abusive situation is so much more than saying "goodbye" and walking away. I also feel like this ad is downplaying the suffering and troubles of women who do go through abuse. So, if they played sports they would have left him? NO! For the pregnancy statement I don't understand how they got that either. Maybe because if they play sports that will take up their time so they wont have oppourtunities to get pregnant? Ha, if you think teenagers don't find ways to have sex then you are living with your eyes closed. Nike needs to wake up and realize the facts of this generation.

 

The commercial that goes with this add also really bothers me. There are mostly little kids in the commercial and I don't understand how these topics really relate to 6-year-olds? Yes, selfconciousness can and does start early, but I think this ad should've been more about teenagers who are at that stage in their life who are facing the possibilities of being in a relationship with someone who beats them or getting pregnant. Also, when the little girl says the statement "I will be more likely to leave a man who beats me" she smiling or somewhat laughing and I don't understand that at all because while it is good to leave someone who beats you I don't think it's something to laugh about. Which goes back to how Nike is downplaying that aspect of our culture. And yes, it is a cultural/societal thing, not circumstantial. As a community, as a whole, we deal with abuse; not just certain people.

 

The tone of the ad is sad and sort of like begging others to let kids play sport, while the commercial is more of an uplifting tone as if the sports is helping the kids. Yes, I do agree that sports help kids stay motivated and put their energy into positive things, but I don't agree with the things Nike says it helps with. I don't think colors play a role in the ad, it's more of the words that have the impact. This ad is directed at parents/gurdians and people that have influence in the world that can start programs to get kids into sports. When parents see these "statistics" they will feel as if they have to put their child in sports because if they don't then they are somehow either letting their child be a victim or such things or promoting such things. Both of which are completely false.

 

I think the ad uses the appeal of the Need to Nurture because when a parent see's the little girl with the statements below they feel the need to protect their own child(ren) from those things. It also uses the Need to Acheive because all of those statements are good things to gain (I just don't think playing sports will help someone do those things). Also, the Need to Feel Safe is used because the viewer feels if they put their child in sports they will be safe from all of those things (which isn't true!).

 

The ad uses the advertising techniques of Facts and Figures because the statements seem as if they are somehow statistics. I mean, people can't just make up lies and publish them right? Ha... It also uses Plain Folks because anyone can put their child in sports (with some exceptions). I also think it uses Glittering Generalities and Weasel Words in a way because by saying something like "if you let me play sports I will be more likely to leave a man who beats me" it's pretty much saying "if you don't let me play sports I will be with a man who beats me". When you put it like that, of course they're gonna let them play sports! It makes it seem as if Nike can protect a child from all those things of the world just by playing sports. Again, untrue.

 

This ads main goal, I think, is to convince people that playing sports is a good thing and it will prevent the unsatisfactory concepts of the world. The truth is, while playing sports is good, it will not help a girl leave a man who beats her, or help her become less likely to get pregnant. Yes there may be some cases where people will say, "All because of sports (insert good thing that happened). But as a majority, bad things happen and sports wont help. Nike wants to make it seem like they care about preventing those statements, but really they're only doing that so parents will think, "Well Nike cares about my child, I think I'll buy those shoes instead." It's giving the viewer a false sense of security.