Monday, August 13, 2012

Does Nike's 'Greatness' Ad Featuring An Obese Boy Exploit Fat ...

From Time Magazine?..

Opinions are mixed on whether a Nike commercial featuring 12-year-old Nathan Sorrell, who weighs 200 lbs., combats or promotes stigma surrounding obesity

Nathan Sorrell, a middle-school student from London, Ohio, is 12 years old, 5-ft.-3-in. tall and weighs 200 lbs. He?s likely one of the last people you?d think Nike would laud in an ad campaign. Yet there he is, lumbering down the middle of Old Xenia Road, his bulk silhouetted against a pastel sky.

Nathan runs and runs, clearly exhausted with the immense effort, as a narrator speaks in church-like tones of greatness, informing us that ?we?re all capable of it. All of us.?

The message is pretty clear. Human will ? in this case Nathan?s apparent desire to get fit ? is a thing of incredible power. His determination to slim down is deserving of reverence ? and a prime viewing spot during the Olympics broadcast. Nike selected Nathan to participate in its ?Find Your Greatness? ad campaign that showcased towns the world over that shared the same name as the city hosting feats of athletic prowess.

I struggled to decide whether this ad exploited Nathan, or whether Nike was making an incredibly generous and open-minded overture toward people who wouldn?t typically make much use of their products. Was this an attempt to tackle the stigma surrounding childhood obesity ? 1 in 3 U.S. kids is overweight ? or was it a publicity stunt?

To read the full story?..Click here

Source: http://www.lensaunders.com/wp/?p=3228

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