All around the world, individuals live through acts of persuasion, known as rhetoric. Typically, people do not put a great amount of thought toward what is going on behind the scenes of why they make their decision. The application of rhetoric is crucial in finding the most effective approach to present an idea. Nike’s commercial for Kobe’s reveal of his Nike Zoom Kobe Five shoe lays out an ideal way of using different forms of rhetoric to grab an individual’s attention. In 2009, basketball players and fans of all ages, along with athletes of all different kinds, were thrilled when the Nike Zoom Kobe Five shoes were released. Soon after the shoe was released, Nike produced a commercial, which amplified the popularity of the shoe to an even higher extent. The rhetoric in the commercial presents the shoe to be the hottest shoe on the market, and a must have for individuals of all ages. The ability to effectively apply kairos, ethos, pathos, and logos throughout this commercial allows a diverse audience to become fascinated with Kobe’s new shoe because it is different than any other Nike shoe.
The commercial Nike launched included Kobe Bryant, Lebron James, and the rest of the cast being played as puppets. Kobe, Lebron, and a fan walk into a smokey building that had people inside talking about a fire that had started. The three of them continue to walk through the building, not paying much attention to commotion going on around them. They eventually found themselves to be where the fire had started, Kobe’s shoe closet. The two firefighter puppets found the cause of the fire and informed the three incautious puppets that it was the Nike Zoom Kobe Five, which was Kobe’s new shoe at the time. The firefighter broke the news to them by exclaiming, “This shoe is just too hot!”. The news made Kobe ecstatic in the commercial, he began to talk about how “hot” the shoe was to the jealous Lebron. The commercial ends with Kobe saying, “…you heard the man, go put them on and you’ll strike a match,” leaving the audience intrigued with the shoe.
The rhetoric in this commercial has a strong effect on the audience, due to its ability to bring attention to the shoe. The commercial was screened shortly after the release of the “hot, new” shoe. The timing of when to show the commercial was crucial. This let the audience know that the shoe was fresh on the store racks, allowing long lines to form waiting to purchase the shoe. If the commercial was delayed, rather than right away, the chances of a newer shoe stealing the spotlight definitely rise. In contrast, if the commercial was shown too early, customers might have lost attention for the shoe, or even had enough time to analyze the shoe and pick out flaws, rather than deciding to make an impulsive purchase just to have them while the hype is going around. Kairos was applied constructively, which guided individuals to act fast and purchase a pair before the nightmare of being sold out became their new problem.
Kobe’s name alone, has the ability to reel in a large number of customers. Individuals, both younger and older folks, idolize him and the way he was able to stand out as an National Basketball Association (NBA) player. After an appearance at the NBA Finals in 2008, Kobe came back even hungrier for a championship trophy in the following year. Game after game in 2009, Kobe showed his fans the impact he could make on the court, while consistently contributing impressive game statistics for the Los Angeles Lakers. With Kobe being a National Basketball Association (NBA) superstar, the shoe was “flaming” with popularity. The audience was convinced the shoe was a necessity, because of Kobe’s credibility. The use of ethos allowed the audience to have confidence and excitement for the new shoe, due to the role Kobe played in the shoe itself and the commercial. The catchy phrases that are said throughout the commercial make perfect arguments to use while convincing their parents to buy them. For example, “But mom, they are the lightest, lowest shoe in the game. I just have to have them!”. Many children idolized Kobe, therefore the idea of wearing his shoe was quite appealing. Ethos appears here again, where two standout NBA players play a part in the advertisement of the shoe.
The commercial’s context also has an ability to grasp attention from a wide range of age groups. The idea of the characters being played as puppets, reaches out to the younger crowd. This brings the shoe to their attention as well as adding a new addition to their birthday or Christmas list. The light-hearted, comical tone displayed throughout the commercial keeps the audience interested in the shoe. The rhetor, who would be the producer of the commercial, uses pathos to allow viewers to be engaged and persuaded by the subtle, yet effective details. One can recognize a consistent use of pathos from beginning to end in the commercial. Examples of pathos in this commercial include the tone, the use of puppets, the application of humor, and the choice of dialogue. The producer’s ability to utilize pathos snatches the attention of the audience, while allowing them to be persuaded by what is going in the commercial.
The commercial displays Kobe’s closet to hold the fault for where the fire started. To children, this detail strengthens the argument behind the idea of the shoe being hot. With this incorporation, the youth are more easily able to tie things together in their finite minds, allowing the commercial to make more sense. After casually strolling through a burning building, the men found themselves in Kobe’s shoe closet. Following the statement, “I think we got something over here,” a firefighter, with tongs in his possession, pulls out the brand new shoe that has smoke emerging from it. By integrating the use of logos, kids are wooed again by the shoe. The firefighter states, “As an official of the Fire Department, this shoe right here is just too hot,” as the shoe continues to fume and appear smoking hot. The firefighter persuades the young audience, by his assertive tone, which helps support the claim of the shoe being, “too hot”.
For parents or adults, the commercial’s corniness could quickly snag their attention. It could also be a motive to be more eager to get to the gym. The commercial highlights how light the shoe is, possibly convincing some of the audience that their workout would be easier and more comfortable, along with being able to wear a popular, good looking pair of shoes. Logos is creatively used for adults to get a chuckle in and have their attention brought to the new shoe. The firefighter brings out the shoe after stating he found the cause of the fire and asks Kobe suspiciously, “Can you tell me what this is Mr. Bryant?”. Kobe responds informally, “Oh, that’s just my new shoe. The Nike Zoom Kobe Five…”. Ethos makes an appearance again in regard to attracting adults. The older folks have a better understanding of how effective Kobe was as a professional basketball player because by the time this shoe came out, Kobe had already been in the NBA for over ten years. Kobe’s name in the shoe, along with him and Lebron being in the commercial enhances the credibility level of the shoe for adults. Kobe and Lebron are both very well known, so even individuals who don’t watch basketball could be impressed with the shoe because of the amount of fame they have.
Nike’s purpose of the commercial production was not necessarily to grab more attention to their brand, but the Kobe shoe, made by them. In the commercial, the puppets were not wearing Nike clothing, or any products advertising Nike. The commercial strictly remained focused on the shoe, with the entrance of the Nike logo at the very end, and quickly faded away. Nike focuses on the right things in this commercial, which allowed it to be so beneficial for their brand. For the most part, individuals do not need commercials that are informative regarding Nike because of the brand’s prevalence. Overall, Nike’s ability to incorporate the usage of kairos, ethos, pathos, and logos productively presented the Nike Zoom Kobe Five to the audience, leaving everyone to know that the shoe is, “just too hot”.
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