Nike's Individuality

Advertiser Influence Our Individuality

There are about seven billion people in the world. Individuality distinguishes everyone from other people. However, with the development of commerce, advertisement for products which becomes much widespread are influencing people’s individuality. Some advertised products which are designed for normal consumers decrease people’s individuality. Meanwhile, some other products that have been advertised to those at a very high social level make them more of individuality. Most products advertise to ordinary consumers decrease the individuality because the merchants can always lead people to purchase their goods, but people do not actually choose the product by themselves. We live in a free country and it seems

In Solomon’s words, “American dream encourages the desire to ‘arrive,’ to vault above the mass, it also fosters a desire to be popular, to ‘belong’.” (169) Advertiser whose “ads are aimed at a broader market” (169) are utilizing such kind of human mentality. For instance, Nike is a famous clothes brand to almost everybody. In its advertisement, there are always people in different genders, races and ages wearing Nike’s products running on streets, on riversides or in parks. Through its advertisement, Nike is trying to convey consumers that everyone is using Nike’s products, and you should be one of them. People want to fit in as part of most people, so they buy Nike’s products. Nike’s advertised products make people belong to it. If I were going to buy a new pair of shorts for running, I would consider of buying a pair of Nike shorts because it seems that so many people wear Nike shorts and I want to keep the same with them. People buy those advertised products to increase their senses of belonging, but they are losing their individuality at the same time. Despite many advertised products could decrease the individuality, some of them indeed make people more of

Lots of people at a high level in society use the products they own to represent their social status. As what Solomon says in his article, “advertisers have been quick to exploit the status signals that belong to body language as well.” (169) Advertising gives them a good chance to show their material success, and the advertised products make them more of individuality. For example, Michael Jordan owns a Ferrari 512 which is a super sports car with an unaffordable price. Ferrari’s advertising tells the world how excellent and expensive the car is, so that his car could shows his wealth and success in his career and also his energetic and positive personalities. Being advertised, Jordan’s Ferrari is not just a vehicle but a symbol of his identity. There is no doubt that this advertised car makes Jordan much more of