It is hard not to be gripped by this poignant image the first time you lay eyes on it. The silhouette image of the bridge against the slightly abstract night sky is extremely atmospheric and instills the same feelings of loneliness and escapism that the runner would experience. It captures the solitude and exhilaration of the long-distance runner perfectly. The copy reads,
"Mothers, there's a mad man running in the streets, and he's humming a tune, and he's snarling at dogs, and he still has four more miles to go. Just do it."
The copy has a sense of humour that any runner can relate to. I find it extremely inspiring as it had the power to make me reminisce and look fondly on the feelings of exhaustion while running and the will-power to carry on and 'go the extra mile'. Even after not going running for a long time, this advert motivates you to pull on your trainers and hit the road.
I find this Adidas poster from 1995 to have a similar message and affect on its audience as the Nike advert. The copy is a reflection on the runner's thought process and drives home the 'go the extra mile' mentality in the hope that you associate this achiement with Adidas trainers.
3 comments:
I coach a high school cross country team in Addison NY. I shared this entry with my athletes prior to our Sectional Championship Meet. Good stuff. the NIKE ad about the 'snarling at dogs' has become our motto over the years.
I was that madman, running the streets in Philly at night, from 1978-89, over bridges into gang territory or the Philadelphia Museum of Art. It didn't matter to me, as long as I logged those miles.
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