Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Individualism in Marketing Campaign
Individualism in Marketing Campaign
Individualism in Marketing Campaign
The advent of the Internet comes hand in hand with the rise of online activism. Social media and
news forums are platforms where individuals and companies present their political identities.
Posting a black square with the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter is synonymous with promoting the
cause. Using a rainbow filter on Facebook in Pride month implies one’s support for the LGBTQ
community. Given the increasing trend of advocating for social causes on the Internet,
companies incorporate social justice themes in commercials to attract their customers. Nike’s
billions of dollars of sales. Pepsi also hopped on the bandwagon and featured Kendall Jenner for
its “Live for Now.” In this paper, by examining these case studies, I will argue that individualism
attention. Celebrities act as agents of the spectacle, a term Debord coined in the 20th century.
Debord defines the spectacle as “not a collection of images, but a social relation among people,
mediated by images” (qtd. in Morgan and Perje). Companies brand themselves so that the
catharsis from a purchase comes not only from the quality of the product but also from
affiliations with the brand. Advertisements add more depth to products that would otherwise hold
no more meaning than their physical worth. Celebrities thus act as mediators between companies
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and consumers, communicating their companies’ brand identities to their fanbase. In fact, Colin
Kaepernick was chosen as the face of Nike’s “Dream Crazy” because of his popularity with
urban youths. Kaepernick angered the NFL in 2017 by kneeling during the national anthem as a
sign to protest rising racism. By associating with Kaepernick, Nike risks losing its long-term
partnership with the NFL. However, Nike believes that the credibility acquired with urban
youths, a market that it is expanding to, outweighs this risk (Creswell et al). Kaepernick is the
perfect choice for Nike who could borrow both his status as a civil rights activist and his growing
follower base.
Nike’s ad promotes individualism and the American dream. Individualism is the culture that
valorizes self-reliance and individual success. It is one of the most popular narratives that
characterize the American dream. The American dream, or the desire to achieve “the good life”
is the belief that “You work hard, you create your own luck, and anything is possible” (Berlant)
(Crazy/ Genius). In their book The American dream, Berlant posits that the American dream
disillusions people into believing that upward mobility and success can be achieved by sheer
determination (Crazy/Genius). These messages are reflected in Colin’s narration in the “Dream
Crazy” commercial: “Don’t ask if your dreams are crazy. Ask if you are crazy enough.” By
telling success stories in sports like that of the famous tennis player Serena Williams, Nike
endorses the belief that tenacity can realize even the most unrealistic goals such as being world-
class athletes or ending structural racism. Individualism emphasizes individual efforts and fails
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This emphasis on individual success undermines social activism by alienating individuals from
their class struggles. Debord notes that celebrity is “the enemy of the individual” and that the
spectacle “conceals the relation between men and classes” (qtd. in Morgan and Perje). Racism is
inherently a class struggle between the oppressed and the oppressor. By reducing the collective
fight against racial injustice to an individual effort, Nike dismisses the collective labor and
hardship involved in these fights. Even with the same commitment and talent, black athletes are
not entitled to the same wages and respect given to their white counterparts. Activism is a
decentralized movement that requires collective action such as banning hate speech, increasing
black representation in politics instead of simply excelling in sports. At its essence, individual
success only brings benefits to oneself. Being the world’s best athlete does not automatically
solve racism and guarantee other black athletes equal access to opportunities. Nike’s “Dream
Crazy” is an example of performative activism because its individualistic message distorts the
Not only does individualism fail to address class struggles, but it also exacerbates it by
reinforcing the prevalent white savior complex, as seen in Pepsi’s “Live For Now.” Debord
concludes that “in all its specific forms, as information or propaganda, advertisements or direct
consumption of entertainment, the spectacle is the present model of socially dominant life”
(Debord,9). In other words, advertisements reflect popular narratives in American life including
individualism and the white savior complex. In Pepsi’s ad, individualism manifests in the
depiction of Kendall Jenner as the hero who can magically end police brutality and uproot
systemic discrimination with just a Pepsi. Debord also notes that the spectacle serves to amplify
dominant beliefs, saying that “the form and content of the spectacle are identically the total
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justification of the conditions and the ends of the existing system” (Debord,9). Pepsi’s script
exacerbates anti-racism movements by justifying racist stereotypes and the power gap between
Black and white people. Racism stems from the imbalance of power between two races which
traces back to the colonization of America. Since then, black people have been typecasted as
incompetent and subservient whereas white people are superior and cultured. The advertisement
is ironic because it implies that white heroes can solve any issues, including one that they
perpetuate. Black customers watching this ad are invited to internalize their subordination and
lack of agency over their lives. By not challenging the racist status quo, the minority is
“complicit in their victimization,” creating a vicious cycle that further disempowers them (Still
Processing). On the other hand, “Live for now” also instills delusion of grandeur and superiority
in their white viewers. This message is toxic because it deprives black athletes of a chance to
realize their American dream. White team leaders pass over black athletes for promotions
because blacks are viewed as threats to their authority. Pepsi’s “Live For Now” is an example of
This obsession with individualism disincentivizes companies from making tangible impacts in
their workplace, hence reinforcing their dominance over the working class. Debord observes that
“fame has acquired infinitely more importance than the value of anything one might be actually
capable of doing”(qtd. in Morgan and Perje). In other words, the hunger for media coverage
Nike and Pepsi engage with activism by creating content that presents themselves as socially
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oriented. This kind of performative activism quells dissent and disempowers the working class.
Debord argues that the spectacle is the tool for the ruling class to divert public opinion from what
truly matters. Before this ad release, Nike had been accused by multiple media outlets of
discrimination and pay inequality towards women. However, the overwhelmingly positive
reception of its “Dream Crazy” ad seems to disassociate Nike from any negative images and
drown out allegations about its hostile working environment. Debord describes this phenomenon
as “the monopoly of appearance” when “the spectacle presents itself as something enormously
positive, indisputable and inaccessible” (qtd. in Morgan and Perje). The proliferation of
advertisements overshadows scandals that are difficult to surface in the first place. Companies’
marketing and legal departments usually seek secret settlements to prevent negative publicity
from being leaked to the press. Even if such news is released, it will not draw the same attention
“indisputable” and reinforce their oppression over their workers while still appearing to be
progressive.
Some may argue that activist marketing advertisements will prompt even the most disinterested
and apolitical customers to look up social movements and self-educate themselves. While it is
true that activist commercials do raise awareness of social issues, this awareness does more harm
than good because it misrepresents true activism by highlighting individualism. As seen in the
cases of Pepsi and Nike’s ads, individualism ignores class struggles and reinforces white savior
belief. Recognizing the disparity between real activism and activism in marketing campaigns
prevents customers from internalizing wrong messages and being gaslighted by the companies.
Consumers can identify the red flags of woke-washing companies by analyzing their
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advertisements. In doing so, consumers can channel their support into genuinely progressive