Michael Jeffrey Tate

Croydon College : BA(hons) graphic design

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Artist Statement:

PROJECT: Anti Nike Movement – Poster Campaign.

Nike is fast becoming the most powerful company on the global brand landscape. Due to its size and power it has become a very criticised brand. The Nike ideal of young deprived youths achieving through sport is often criticised for being an unrealistic view, and Nike is often attacked for their use of sweatshop workers who create their high priced goods. With its philosophies being picked to pieces and its company polices scrutinised. This has given birth to an international protest group ‘The Anti Nike Movement’ which over the past few years has grown dramatically.

Although The Anti Nike Movement has grown it still does not have the impact needed to take on the Nike giant. The movement is an organisation that allows input from the public who are interested in the course and is not organised by professionals. In order for the anti Nike movement to compete on Nikes level it needs to adopt the Nike strategies.

The aim of the anti Nike movement is to change Nike’s working practices and to stop people buying their products. The Nike audience only understands the Nike tone of voice, why not use it?

The dissertation ‘How has the Nike sports brand exploited the young black American sub cultures and their search for identities?’ talks about how Nike’s use of black imagery has exploited the youth black culture of the United States. This poster campaign
draws a comparison between how Nike’s advertising is geared towards the ideal that, young people better them selves with the use of their products, through sport. On the other hand these posters show how young gang members use the Nike brand as a uniform. Which then becomes involved in street crime and drug use and they even kill for this brand.

This campaign highlights the difference between the way Nike wants to be perceived and the reality of the way the Nike brand is used.

Michael Jeffrey Tate

Croydon College : BA(hons) graphic design