OUGD601 - #Just Do It Campaign Concept & Manifesto

Building on from the 'Just Do It' meme advertising campaign using the clip of Shia LaBeouf’s intense motivational speech, I have decided to propose a viral fad concept (taking influence from the Ice Bucket Challenge, Planking and the Harlem Shake) which will further increase the publicity and spread of the campaign. Statistics from similar viral fads have shown the potential of this technique; the consumers themselves become the distributors which is extremely reminiscent of Toffier’s (1980) portmanteau terminology, the ‘prosumer’ – ‘neither producers nor consumers in the usual sense’ (Toffler 1980 p.226). The concept is simple but easily replicable, abiding to Dawkins three principles of high survival rate amongst meme replicators: 'longevity, fecundity, and copying-fidelity' (Dawkins 1976 p.194). The proposed concept is as follows:

Manifesto

A short piece of film would be put together by Nike showing a variety of diverse people achieving their dreams or accomplishing a self set task (achieving their personal best at an athletic activity etc...). At the end of their accomplishment, the subject would shout 'JUST DO IT' towards the camera whilst pulling the Shia LaBeouf motivational speech pose. At the end of the advert, a challenge would come up on the screen saying 'SHOW US WHAT YOU CAN DO #JUST DO IT CHALLENGE'. This advert would be shown on television, billboards and most importantly, shared across social media and online platforms. This would then spark a viral fad in which the public would record themselves fulfilling personal achievements and post their video online with the hashtag 'Just Do It'. This would be recontextualised again and again much like the Ice Bucket Challenge, Planking and the Harlem Shake.


Examples could be as follows:

• Achieving their personal best running time on a track
• Lifting their max weight at the gym
• Graduating university
• Someone thats just climbed to the top of mount everest
• Skydiving
• Bungee jump

The repercussions of such a viral fad taking off could have huge implications for the publicity and profits of the Nike brand. The concept shows the power memes could have in a commercial sense and how they could be adopted into the practice of graphic design.