Once again, the TV is set to ESPN while I am at work. While I don't get to watch the shows, I can hear everything that is being said, including commercials. The new NIKE commercial with the big megaphone and all the females standing there stating their case for why they matter sort of has me bothered.
The reason I am bothered is this: I am a pretty big sports fan. I can probably recognize most athletes by name or face and tell you something about them. I can NOT for the life of me tell you more than maybe three of the athletes on that commercial. And WHY is that? Because the marketing of women's sports is crap.
Nike, Reebok, Adidas, Gatorade, Powerade, the list goes on, they all have notable male athletes endorsing their products. They never go after the popular female sports figures until they have come to the end of their careers (Mia Hamm, Gabrielle Reece). Who in the world cares about an athlete at the end of their career?
Even with the Women's World Cup going on right now, how many times have you seen a commercial for the team? Other than the little clips talking about their next game, I would know absolutely zero about the whole thing. AND THIS IS THE WORLD CUP!
If you want to make women's sports more "meaningful" to the average fan, make the athletes more recognizable. Market your players, make the fans care about their success. I don't like Shawne Merriman that much, but his Nike commercial with the "Last of the Mohicans" music makes me want to watch him smash any quarterback into the ground...and hard!
Well, the end of the day has come and I need to leave. I wish I could go deeper into this right now, but I will have to wait.
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Comments
Nike has actually had some pretty good commercials on TV about the Women's team. Schrute from 'The Office' is on the...if that rings a bell?
you must have been hurting for a topic to write about babe. i could've done without reading about women sports. thanks for nothing.