Nike: When advertising becomes identity

Saw this truck on my way to work this morning, and it hit me just how amazing the Nike 'swoosh' campaign has become. It has reached a status that has transcended the simple form of advertising, where a company wants to educate a consumer and sell a product. Instead, the 'swoosh' serves as a way for people to communicate their personal beliefs to others. Simply put, the Nike brand has become their identity.

This truck driver wanted the world to know that he lives by the athletic code of 'Just Do It' and decided that a 5-foot wide swoosh was the best way to share this with others.

All branding campaigns should have this extremely lofty ambition, where a brand creates such a strong emotional connection that people will go out of their way, and even spend money, to share that brand with others.    --Ken

Comments

[supra womens shoes]

I thank thee that I am none of the wheels of power but I am one with the living creatures that are crushed by it.

[choco]

this has been a growing trend since the 80's?.. i can't remember but logos have gone from being on the inside label to branding somehting, which with ideas attached tell some sort of meaning. this i guess is how people are tring to say they either support those ideas and/or as you have put, a way of expressing identity.
but you know everything that's advertised isn't just to sell, its to make an impression [may lead to loyalty etc]
but yea thats an interesting way of expressing oneself

[Captain Baggo]

Harley Davidson. What other brand has strong enough loyalty to have the logo actually tattooed on it's consumers' bodies. I'm sure there are some, but I can't think of many. Now that I mention it, I do recall meeting a guy with the Bacardi mark (the bat-thing) tatooed on his neck. When I asked him the significance of it, he simply replied "I'm a drunk." Touche.

[Charlie Ballard]

It's amazing when a brand passes the tipping point from "company / product name" and actually becomes "lifestyle". All brands want their names and logos to become a part of their customers lives, just trying to think of others who have successfully done it. Apple, Ford, and Nike and all come immediately to mind. Microsoft? There are fans but -- sadly, I'm sure to their marketers -- few would proudly display to the world that "I'm a Microsoft kinda guy". What's great about this kind of brand identity is that while it's tough as hell to earn, once it's there it's also tough to break.