Response to Felicia’s post “Make Yourself-Nike Ad”

Response to Felicia’s blog post: http://305upinflames.blogspot.com/

I find this campaign very interesting. I was aware that Nike has been accused of having a history of using sweatshops.  This campaigns aims at empowering women and making them feel comfortable in their bodies. I agree that although Nike tries to communicate a positive message Nike’s use of sweatshop degrades their message. The environments in sweatshops are dangerous and difficult. Workers, usually women, are exposed to harmful situations and materials and abuse from employers. Sweatshop workers often work long days and make way lower than minimum wage. On one hand Nike promotes female empowerment and on the other it abuses women in Third World countries. As you stated, it creates an environment where women cannot be strong outside the sweatshop environment. 

I find it interesting that in one of the advertisements for this campaign the image portrays a female surfer (Laura Enever) engaging in a male sporting event (Gymnastics rings). The rings are an artistic gymnastics apparatus traditionally used only by males (due to the demand for extreme upper-body strength). Throughout the commercial athletes are portrayed as achieving their goals despite presented conditions or barriers (“Rain or shine I push myself to the limit everyday” – Julia Mancuso). Despite restrictions woman can break boundaries and prove both their physical and mental strength. 

I am not sure if this is part of the same campaign but this reminds me of Nike’s “My butt is Big” advertisements. “My butt is big” is just one of Nike’s attempts to promote self-acceptance amongst women of different body shapes and sizes. The advertisements range from depicting pictures of legs, hips and shoulders. The advertisements feature female body parts modeling Nike gear. As I discussed in my blog post, images of the female body and body parts are used to sell everything from food to cars to clothes. The female body has been used in several advertisements, commonly in a sexual manner as sex sells. 

Nike attempts to showcase the athlete’s body but portrays it in a sexual manner. Nike attempts to combat the conception that big butts are bad or “manly” shoulders on females are ugly. Although Nike portrays a positive message, there are still negative messages surrounding the ads (attainability of the body images depicted in the ads, “realness” of the females depicted in the photographs- photoshop or not). Through these advertisements Nike tries to eliminate the stereotype that athletic women are too masculine. Nike returns to the “sex sells” notion. For these ads, sex sells whether it’s an athletic model or curvy model. Although these images may empower women to accept their bodies, I think these ads also build on the ideal body image making viewers want the bodies advertised. Although many women may not be able to relate to the “butt” advertisement, many can relate to having issues with their body and embracing everything about themselves (“thunder thighs,” broad shoulders, hips).