Successes and Failures

The Nike equality campaign has caused an overload of controversy discussions throughout social media networks. In particularly; Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. The campaign has instigated concerns of Nike as a brand suggesting equality amongst people, due to previous accusation of appointing slave labour and sweatshops to workers in Asian countries. This has been done with manufacturing Nike products. However, the message of incorporating the bond between players into becoming be the same bond shared between people is positively portrayed on Instagram, linking human right with gay rights. These posts change the black and white equality logo to the rainbow colours. This expands equality to gay people being also being seen as equals. The public responded extremely supportive to this change with colourful love hearts and supportive comments. 

(Vargas, 2017)

(Instagram, 2017)

Nike’s forceful campaign has raised awareness of equality world-wide, through incorporating powerful one lines throughout the short commercial. These quotes are being used all over social media to support the developing campaign. Instagram hashtags have been created to share photos of support to Nike. Fernanda Vargas (2017) posted a photo on Instagram that used many hashtags with the words directly sourced from the commercial. “Equality should have no boundaries”, “The bond between players should exist between people” and “The ball should bounce the same for everyone”. These quotes show support to the Nike campaign and create further discussion about the ability to showcase equality world-wide. The powerful voice over through out the duration of the commercial indicates a clear message of seriousness in the message about applying equality into our lives. The black and white images simply the meaning down to the emotional core of the desperation of equality that is needed in society. Using these techniques force the minds of viewers into the underlining issues that are being targeted in the video. This is a successful strategy that allows the audience to be indulge to the meanings and values that Nike are trying to highlight through the campaign.

However, the campaign has shown Nike's shift from being product focused to attitude focused. The implications of the switch have seemed to be somewhat ineffective. Twitter has gone wild with negative backlash from the campaign with outraged accusations of Nike promoting a hypocritical campaign. Claims have been released, accusing Nike of selling shoes that have been made in Asian countries with poorly enforced protective laws and cheap labour. Nike has been slammed for being insensitive and insulting to promote equality with their sweatshop situation. Insulting comments were posted on Twitter and Facebook only days after the campaign was released. Twitter user, Noey's status congratulates the awareness of Equality however, voicer her disappointment for Nike promoting this cause as a result of their ironic lack of equality in foreign countries. 

Reference

Instagram. (2017, June 30th). Life is colourful. [image]. Retrieved from

                  https://www.instagram.com/p/BV85K87H2t6/?taken-by=deivitt&hl=en

Noey. (2017, July 14th). So awesome, really, but Nike can't preach equality when they can't

provide adequate pay for its sweatshop workers in foreign countries. [Tweet]. Retrieved from

https://twitter.com/No3asy/status/885652182317490177


Vargas.F [Fernanda Vargas]. (2017, June 25th). Equality should have no boundaries. The bond     
         between players should exist between people. Opportunity should be indiscriminate. Worth should outshine colour. The ball should bounce the same for everyone ! If we can be equals we can equals everywhere. [Image]. Retrieved from.         
         https://www.instagram.com/p/BVutDgdlliC/?hl=en&taken-by=fernandavargasfdz