The Hero Within

While most advertising communication involves sketching and portrayal of a heroic character that speaks the brand language and sets an iconic image, there are times when big brands have twisted the routine and thought laterally.

Instead of creating a hero or herculean character in its advertisements, Nike has scripted classic stories where the end-consumer plays both the characters.

While we discussed how Nike failed to identify and establish sportswomen in its recently launched campaign ‘Da Da Ding’, we cannot overshadow the fact that the brand has churned out some of the finest and most effective advertisements in its space.

And a closer look at Nike’s brand communication and strategy shows how the brand has consistently focussed on featuring stories with an emotional connect, ones that connect to every one of us.

Some might argue that Nike has featured some of the biggest athletes of all time, but the way the stories have been depicted and the way the scripts are written, are as contemporary and as colloquial as they can be.

For instance, Nike’s ‘Unlimited’ campaign featured top athletes from across the globe and showed the real struggle in their lives and how the hero, in them was nothing but hard work, practice and sweat.

From the British distance runner’s ‘Unlimited Mo Farah’ to the Jamaican Shelly Ann Fraser Pryce’s‘Unlimited Shelly’, Nike has followed the traditional method of storytelling – Heroism.

In all its advertising communication, Nike has always shown superficially, how a hero attains grandeur after going through a great struggle, hardships, and after relentless hard work. And just like any other good story, even Nike’s advertisements have a villain, the one whom the hero defeats.

Interestingly, the villain resides in the lead character, all of us, the common us – it is nothing else but our laziness, the attitude of giving up, resisting hard work, et al.

It is the emotional and behavioural change in the character that makes all the difference; that creates the “Hero Within”, who emerges triumphant.

This storytelling by Nike inspired customer loyalty towards the brand while encouraging them to unveil the hero within and defeat the foe, conquer over laziness and giving up, emerge elegantly.

Also, Nike is not the only one doing this, there are other brands too that talk about crossing your own limits, running the extra mile and be break free.

Among others, sportswear brand Reebok is renowned for its similar powerful campaigns that give an adrenaline rush in just seconds.

Reebok’s advertisement Katrin Davidsdottir's ‘Secret to Winning’ is a classic testimony of how a powerful narration with an archetype storytelling makes an ad so compelling.