"Just Do It" has become one of the most popular slogans in today's society. These three words alone bring both credibility and motivation to simplistic advertisements. Nike creatively exercises their usage of logos, pathos, ethos and other forms of rhetoric, making Nike a company that excels in the area of advertising.
I have chosen a very basic Nike advertisement as an example. The background is all in black. A large, white Nike "swoosh" is placed on the upper-middle portion of the photo. Below the famous symbol is Nike's slogan "Just Do It" in bold, capitalized, white letters.
While this advertisement was plain and simple, it left me with a feeling of inspiration and incentive to well, "Just Do Something". The black color gives a sense of strength, power, and authority. The white against the black gives an intense and striking impression. "JUST DO IT" is said in big, bold letters, referring to a demand rather than a suggestion. Though small in the amount of detail, this advertisement makes it clear that you need to get off your lazy butt and you may as well do it in Nike.
In this promotion, we automatically recognize this is a Nike ad, though the word "Nike" is nowhere to be seen in the picture. This is because Nike has the benefit of using logos. Nike has some of the biggest athletes sporting their equipment. Logos is drawing an audience in by showing that if the best use their products, you too will be the best if you use their products. It does not matter if you are the worst basketball player ever, you are going to buy the Nikes Lebron James owns, in hope that these shoes are going to make you just as amazing of a player.
This then brings us to ethos. Having famous athletes use your merchandise brings great credibility. A brand recommendation is far more valuable coming from a professional athlete, vs. your average high school track star.
