Nike's 'Just Do It' Campaign: Message, Copy, and Meaning Analysis

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of Nike's internationally acclaimed 'Just Do It' advertising campaign. It begins by dissecting the message strategy, emphasizing its broad appeal to diverse audiences and its motivational core, encouraging individuals to overcome self-doubt and achieve their goals. The report then examines the copy style, highlighting the bold and direct messaging that conveys the campaign's central theme. It assesses the alignment between the copy style and the overarching message, demonstrating how the visual and textual elements work in harmony to convey the campaign's core values. Furthermore, the report delves into the meaningfulness of the campaign, outlining its ability to resonate with a wide range of people, promote psychological well-being, and trivialize life's challenges. The conclusion reinforces the campaign's significance as a motivational force and a prime example of effective international advertising.

Running head: INTERNATIONAL ADVERTISING
International Advertising
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

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Table of Contents
Introduction................................................................................................................................2
1. Message Strategy of the Nike International Ad Campaign – Just Do It.............................2
2. Copy Style of the Nike – Just Do It International Ad Campaign.......................................3
3. Analysis of Whether the Copy Style Reflects the Message of the Ad of Nike – Just Do It
4
4. Analysis of the Meaningfulness of the Nike – Just Do It International Ad Campaign......4
Conclusion..................................................................................................................................6
References..................................................................................................................................7

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Introduction
An advertising campaign for a branded product needs to be meaningful in its message
and impact, especially if the product is meant for consumption or use by a global audience. It
is not enough to promote the market value or usefulness of a product in order to get it readily
accepted by large numbers of customers in a short period of time (Ansari and Riasi 2016). If
a product has to do well in the market over the long term, it must appeal to consumers
emotionally, making them desire the product before buying it, an appeal that can be made
when the advertising campaign for that particular product is being executed. As such, most
international advertising campaigns tend to be emotionally appealing in terms of their
messages (Baack et al. 2016). This report analyzes the value and meaning of the international
brand campaign conducted by Nike – Just Do It. The report discusses the message strategy,
discerns the copy style, analyzes whether the copy and the headline reflects the strategy and
states the reasons why the ad can be considered to be quite a meaningful one.
1. Message Strategy of the Nike International Ad Campaign – Just Do It
The message strategy of the Nike international ad campaign, Just Do It, is one that is
meant not just for athletes and sports stars and enthusiasts but all types of people (Hoffman et
al. 2016). What the message really implies is that no one is incapable of achieving what it is
that they set their heart on achieving, and that if they want to accomplish the impossible then
they can go ahead and do so. They simply need to just go ahead and do it. The hidden
meaning of the message of course is that actions speak louder than words and if one intends
on getting something done, one just has to simply go ahead and execute the task or action
instead of waiting around pondering over it or thinking about it in great detail (Hoffman et al.
2016). The impossible, the difficult, the unattainable can all be attained in a quick and easy
manner if a person wills himself to get the task done instead of spending all the time in self

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doubt and skepticism. The Nike – Just Do It international ad campaign is therefore quite a
motivating ad campaign as it is designed towards getting the average person to accomplish
life goals and aspirations with a greater degree of gusto and enthusiasm than before. The
advertising campaign even compels people to perform ordinary day to day tasks such as
climbing up a large flight of stairs, with ease, by just telling themselves that they need to
climb the stairs and achieve their purpose instead of worrying about the pains that are
associated with the process (Childs and Jin 2018). The Nike – Just Do It ad campaign is
aimed at motivating people who are involved in the physical activities such as sports and
games. However, it can also be equally motivating for physically challenged people, for those
who are physically weak and suffer from disabilities and definitely for those who suffer from
low self esteem and the lack of confidence (Childs and Jin 2018).
2. Copy Style of the Nike – Just Do It International Ad Campaign
The copy style of the Nike international ad campaign, Just Do It has the words Just
Do It mentioned in bold and in white font, against a black background with the Nike logo
given at the bottom of the statement (Diehl’s et al. 2016). The bold and clear appearance of
the words conveys the bold and clear message of the statement, which is, that instead of
spending time in self doubt, a person should go ahead and attain what he or she wishes to
attain. The more time spent in contemplation and doubt, the more time that one loses in
achieving one’s goals and aspirations in an efficient and effective way. As such the copy style
of the Nike ad campaign, Just Do It is one that is quite impressive. It captures the attention of
a person quite readily, and conveys the message of the ad campaign in a clear and concise
manner. There is no beating around the bush as far as this ad campaign is concerned. Viewers
of this ad campaign do not have to scratch their heads and wonder about what it is that is
being said (Kornumm et al. 2017). All they have to do is simply look at the advertisement on

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television or on the internet and they will know what it is that the advertisers are wishing to
convey, namely that anything can be achieved, impossible or not, provided that one just goes
ahead and does it (Hoffman et al. 2016).
3. Analysis of Whether the Copy Style Reflects the Message of the Ad of Nike – Just
Do It
The copy style of the international ad campaign by Nike – Just Do It is definitely
effective as far as conveying the message of the advertisement is concerned. The style of the
ad campaign is bold, brazen and to the point, in much the same way that the message of the
advertisement is (Grau and Zotos 2016). The advertisement is one that implores people not to
waste time in doubting themselves and that if they set their hearts on something, they should
just go ahead and do it instead of spending all their time lost in contemplation (Hoffman et al.
2016). By doubting themselves too much, people are often unable to achieve their goals and
ambitions in the desired manner, which is why over thinking things or indulging too much in
self doubt is never a good idea. As such, it can be said that the copy style of the international
ad campaign Nike – Just Do It is one which reflects the message of the advertisement very
well indeed. People will not be in doubt when they view this message. Right by looking at the
statement of the ad campaign, they will understand what it is that the ad campaign is
requiring them to do, that is, that they have to set about accomplishing their goals and
objectives instead of dwelling on whether or not they should do so in the first place (Malefyt
and Macabe 2016).
4. Analysis of the Meaningfulness of the Nike – Just Do It International Ad
Campaign
There are a number of reasons why the Nike – Just Do It international ad campaign can be
considered to be quite a meaningful ad campaign.

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 Firstly, the Nike – Just Do It ad campaign is one that does not make a distinction
between people in terms of its message and outreach. The message of the
advertisement is meant for people from all types of socio-economic backgrounds,
races, religions and creeds and even gender or sex. The Nike – Just Do It ad campaign
is an advertisement that reaches out to every human being on the face of this earth,
young or old, boy or girl or third gender, rich or poor. The aim of the advertisement is
to pull people out of self doubt and get them going on achieving their life goals
(Springer 2018).
 Secondly, the Nike – Just Do It ad campaign is a campaign that is aimed at bringing
about a reduction in a number of psychological issues that can be seen to plague
people in today’s day and age such as self doubt, low self esteem and depression. This
international advertising campaign is aimed at getting people to come out of their
depression, to remove all feelings of self doubt, and to regain confidence in
themselves by simply pushing ahead and doing all the activities that they need to do
in order to make their wishes come true, regardless of the challenges that may come in
their way when they do so (Hoffman et al. 2016).
 Thirdly, a crucial message of the Nike – Just Do It ad campaign which makes it such a
meaningful one is the fact that it trivializes challenges and obstacles that a person is
likely to experience in life (Childs and Jin 2018). By stating that one should just do it,
that is, just do what needs to be done, the ad conveys the notion that while challenges
and obstacles are always going to be there in a person’s life, one simply has to get rid
of them or overcome such challenges instead of worrying about facing such
challenges in the first place. There are many people in the world who are scared of
taking on difficult or arduous tasks and activities because of the challenges that may

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come their way when they do so. Such people are likely to be quite motivated by the
Nike – Just Do It international ad campaign (Kornum et al. 2017).
Conclusion
Thus, it can be concluded that the Nike – Just Do It advertisement campaign is an
international advertisement campaign that is highly meaningful in its scope and outreach and
that it is one of the best ad campaigns that the Nike brand has come up with until date. This is
an ad campaign that is capable of motivating and uplifting people of all ages and from all
types of classes and economic backgrounds, into leading a life that is characterized by
ambition, determination and confidence.

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Grau, S.L. and Zotos, Y.C., 2016. Gender stereotypes in advertising: a review of current
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intended brand identity and identities in a Nike related brand community: Co-existing
synergies and tensions in a nested system. Journal of Business Research, 70, pp.432-440.
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(pp. 200-215). Routledge.