The Image:
What Drew Me In
So for this assignment I went to pinterest and scrolled around until I found a picture I liked a lot. This advertisement from Nike’s Vintage campaign in 2007 really stood out to me. In an age where retro design–especially from the 80’s and 70’s– is popular it’s no wonder I was drawn to this advertisement.
Pathos
The ad reeks of the retro vibe of the 70’s and 80’s; the off-white, cream color used for the background immediately creates a feeling of nostalgia in the user. The shoes in the advertisement are not just timeless designs; they look sleek and stylish as well. This sleek and athletic design is further expanded upon by the “EAT OUR DUST.” below the shoes– the hierarchy of the advert puts focus on the style and the promise of improved athletic performance.
The smaller text’s content also plays on the users emotions. It expresses that these shoes are familiar, but fresh, and that they have all the appeal of a vintage shoe without having to wait. This angle really plays into the demand aspect of shoe collection and the limited nature of certain runs.
Ethos
The advertisement uses ethos in a very unique way. Nike is a legacy athletics brand with a history spanning almost 60 years (at the time closer to 45), and bringing back vintage shoes draws on their authority and history within athletics. Not only do they draw on their authority but, as the smaller print indicates it allows people who may have missed out on the original “classic” looks to get them.
However, I think something fascinating that the text also reveals is Nike’s humility as a brand. They’re portraying themselves as laid back and able to laugh at themselves with phrases like “Weird Swooshes” and “Weathered Foam.” However, they also brandish the classic aspect which collectors of shoes love, like the “iconic” color combinations.
Nike presents itself as not just a pillar of athletics fashion, but as a relatable and human entity, which can be self effacing, but also one that listens to their clientele: they know that people want these vintage looks and so they delivered–and cut the wait time out in the process.
Closing Thoughts
I know my discussion kind of went into the realms of both ethos and pathos kind of fluidly. But I think that’s a mark of good design: when both ethos and pathos work to enhance and inform one another in a work. It shows that the designer “understood the assignment” and effectively met the needs of their client and their user.