Sports equipment Essay Example for Free

touts equipment EssayIn this paper I argue that the world(prenominal)isation of pleasure by foreign versions corporations, the media and degenerate celebrities rent done advertizement altered the degenerate grace by imparting predefined and specialized heathenish and brotherly substances to the plays readr. Abstract Highly successful professional sports teams attract heavyweight corporate sponsorship deals and replete(p) ranging media reporting that raise broadens their supporter base. The attendant world(a)isation of dissipated clubs e very(prenominal)(prenominal)ows sports marketers to target sports consumers with media advertizing to bear commercial messages and specific heathen meanings. Particular attention is foc commitd on Nike and Manchester unite and the precise practice of sports celebrities to progress and endorse flashy beneficials/app bel. The transfer of meaning from the constituted world and sports re retchation to consumer goods and then to the individual consumer is analysed and discussed. Moreover, the social size able-bodiedness and cultural identities given to the consumer by the iconic honor sports atomic number 82 constitutes an attractive flori cultivation the sports consumer wants to be in possession of.This paper further explores and discusses the piece of corporations and their association with advertise in a commercial-cultural nexus and how they argon able to sell a focus of life to the sports buffer. Additionally, the habitualizing techniques used by corporations to create iconic sports stars and orbicular brands are discussed as to how this effects the consumer and the traditional gaudy adorn. Essay In a finish pre sedulous world, people from all walks of life are obsessed with the distinction.In situation, the celebrity sportsman and sportswoman are amongst the blueest profile individuals. Collectively, we are captivated by sport stars lifestyles, love lives, earning motive and skill. It is from these characteristics that people want to have some form of connection with the fresh celebrity. The globalisation of sport by international sports corporations, advertising corporations, the media and sporting celebrities have created an environment for sports advertising toflourish as an industry that is aim to monopolise the market with sporting goods and garment.The direct relationship between the elbow room sports organisations market their goods and how people consume goods is often considered by legion(predicate) commentators to be symbolic sports branding that shapes the desires and actions of consumers. Holt contends that for advertising to work properly a symbiotic relationship is essential between the market prerogatives and the cultural frameworks that consumers acquaint, understand and interact with market offerings (2002, p. 71).With the of import focus of globalisation and increase industry pull ahead, sports corporations seek to become cu ltural engineers to organise how people speculate and feel through celebrity endorsed consumer sports goods (Holt 2002, p. 71). In this paper I argue that all-powerful sports corporations such as Nike and Manchester United use endorsements by sports celebrities with sophisticated advertising techniques. Their objective is to seduce and manipulate consumers into participating in the accrual of commodities that oversees the indoctrination of socialisation, values and social identity.Whats more, I will further contend that through the globalisation of sport and the mass production of sports trade, sport corporations develop specific meanings and a set of techniques that rationalises consumer finish as a commodity. Also, I avouch that sports advertising agencies exploit sports stars and their aviation of authenticity so that they themselves and their products become cultural icons. The nonessential increased role for the sports star into advertising moves the sporting firmamen t boundaries that hard-hittingly alters the sporting landscape.I further contend that the imbued cultural meaning from sports corporations to the sports consumer by elbow room of celebrity endorsements leads to new variants of sport being played. Nikes three-a-side association football competition is used as evidence to support my claim that sports corporations feature with celebrity advertising effectively alters the way some sports are played. Therefore, modifying the cultural sporting landscape.In the end, the rapidly increasing entity of sports globalisation relies on the sports celebrity to sell a way of life to sports fan/consumer via a commercial-cultural nexus. This not completely transfers organisational meaning and acculturation to the consumer save also creates considerable wealth for sports corporations, advertising agencies and the sports star. With the realisation of the power associated with telly set as an advertising forte, it quickly went beyond radio, ne wspaper and cinema to be the most influential medium of mass communication.The video has provided a round-table for the sporting consumer to develop intimate, visually informed relationships with sporting celebrities (Andrews capital of Mississippi, 2001). Considering Andrews capital of Mississippis common exactly insightful cliche, the medium is the message, the television has come to the fore front of advertising with identifiable sports celebrities encouraging the audience (sports consumer) to develop a faux intimacy (2001, p. 3).Consequently, advertising on television and in most media forums has become celebrity saturated (Andrews Jackson, 2001). The fostering of sports celebrities as maintained by Andrews Jackson has made it possible for sports corporations to link the nicety of the celebrity with consumer capitalism to take advan pass overe of the dual roles occupied by celebrities as both products (commodities) and processes (celebrity endorsement) (2001, p. 4). In do ing this, advertising agencies and sports corporations are able to exploit sports consumers.Andrews Jackson (2001) associate with McCracken (1989, 1986) to assert that the optimum goal of advertising agencies and sports corporations is to ensure that celebrities pass on and orchestrate the various facets of a predefined sports culture to foster a highly visible celebrity identity that the consumer can recognise and fixate with. In a sense, these sports agencies and corporations have carefully coordinated plans of cultural procedures.The take oning media technology such as satellite television and the internet has further accelerated the globalisation of sport and with it the ripening and expansion of sports corporations. The incessantly expanding sports corporations are desperate to associate their brands and products with the unique aura of authenticity that is found at bottom the celebrity sports star, so that their products are endow and visualised as cultural icons. Toda y, global sports events are indelibly associated with wide media coverage that sees the iconic sports celebrity be portrayed as role models and in high regard ( languish, 2007).Importantly, Smart points proscribed the desires and aspirations of consumers to be similar if not the same as their sporting celebrity icons and also claims that global sport is now increasing important to the promotion of commodity white plague (2007, p. 130). As shown, the modern landscape of advertising plays an important role in cultural practices and the process of globalisation of sport. As a result, contemporary social life is lay outd by advertising moreover, it is defined by it (Jackson Andrews, 2004).Additionally, Jackson Andrews (2004) assert that advertising is a key process that connects meaning and language to culture, on that pointby constituting social identities in specific scenes (2004, p. 7). The signification of celebrity endorsers can be found in their salaries. Jackson Andrews (2004) highlight that sports stars earn more from endorsements that they do from their sporting profession. Studies have documented and as pointed out by Andrews Jackson (2001), endorsing sports celebrities were present in 11 percent of television advertisements during 1995 that received more than US$1 zillion vaulting horses.Throughout the second half of the twentieth century the uncontrollable clandestine relationship between television and sport grew to irresistibly ascertain the meaning and understanding of sport culture that left the end product of sport being media-driven by celebrities for entertainment (Andrews Jackson 2001, p. 7). Today, sports are constructed, mediated, advertised and seen as contests between identifiable and recognisable individuals or teams of individuals (Andrews Jackson, 2001).Andrews Jackson maintain that sports fans that watch and experience sport develop an intimate attachment with these sporting individuals (2001, p. 7). Sports corporatio ns and advertising agencies on purpose take advantage of this unquestionable intimacy to transform sporting events and the sports celebrity into stories with characters consisting of heroes and villains (Andrews Jackson, 2001). Moreover, Andrews Jackson recognise that the constructed personalities of the heroes and villains are integral to sports advertising that create a purposeful contemporary sporting culture (2001, p.7).The sports celebrity occupies and possesses many complex roles such as elite athletes, entertainers, vendible commodities and role models within the global cultural parsimoniousness (Andrews Jackson 2001, p. 9). In addition, sport has become a highly commercialised and a capitalist culture. The sporting celebrity as described by Andrews Jackson is a commodity of commercial culture that is forcibly imbued with large corporate values and culture thattries to initiate and intensify sports consumers desires, identification and cultural awareness/ evolution (2 001, p. 9).As such, the sporting celebrity has become highly systematized with expanded institutional boundaries that effectively increases their sporting cranial orbit that allows them to operate as cultural and economic agents (Andrews Jackson 2001, p. 7). Accordingly, altering the sports field, equates to altering the sporting landscape through advertising and endorsement of products by celebrities.In understanding the importance of celebrities in the midst of sports globalisation, Andrews Jackson assert that celebrities are significant public entities who are responsible for the formation of meaning and ideologies that offer contextually grounded maps for the sports consumer as they endeavour to gain their individualism and identity (2001, p. 1). Whats more, Andrews Jackson note Marshalls 1997 insightful understanding of the celebrity to be a descriptor incorporating various forms of public individuality including, hero, leader, famous and star from which the celebrity exerc ises within popular culture (2001, p. 2).Whats more, the dynamism of the complex celebrity indicates that individual celebrities can and a great deal do move back and forth between these individual states making them all the more marketable to endorse sporting goods (2001, p. 2). Accordingly, the role of the media to promote sports stars to the term of celebrity is crucial for sports corporations when deciding on particular celebrities to convey their cultural message to the consumer (Andrews Jackson, 2001). In looking at and analysing Michael Jordan as an athlete and a sports celebrity, his broadness is not unaccompanied confined to the wooden confines of the basketball court.Considered by McDonald Andrews (2001) as the first real marketable sport celebrity, Jordan has amassed unimaginable marketing conquests. Jordans endorsement of Nike sport clothe and apparel have seen him earn unmatchable capital accumulation, US$45 million in 1998 (more money than he received for playi ng basketball) (McDonald Andrews, 2001). McDonald Andrews further highlight that Nike made in excess in of US$3 billion from sales on the back of Jordan patch Gatorade more than doublight-emitting diode its revenue in 1991 to make an weighty US$1. 5 billion (McDonald Andrews, 2001).It can be noted from these statistics that contemporary cultures are constructed by sporting corporations and advertising agencies that allow the personalities, lifestyles and sporting cultures of sports celebrities to encourage sports consumers to be like mike. Consequently, McDonald Andrews point out that Gatorade increased its market domination of the nutritional sports drink to an 80 percent share (2001, p. 1). As can be seen, sports celebrities have referent power that enables them to mold and develop sporting cultures in consumers.Advertising agencies and sports corporations view this as a valuable advantage to increase the sports cultural economy (McDonald Andrews, 2001). Pointed out by McD onald Andrews, Bob Dorfman from the advertising agency Foote passed comments to suggest that Jordan is such a superhuman talent that bothbody aspires to his direct of performanceEverybody wants to be that good and have that much success (2001, p. p24). With Jordans amazing skills and talent the Jordan name produced an amazing amount of Jordan Wannabes all wearable Jordan branded shoes and apparel (McDonald Andrews 2001, p.24).These Jordan Wannabes could be seen playing street basketball trying to be like Mike and slam dunk the basketball. This form of street basketball differed in rules and in the way it was played from the original indoor game. Essentially, the street rules basketball transformed the sporting landscape. Consequently, sports consumers with altered and impudently developed cultures and values are playing the sport differently on different sporting fields with newly acquired sports apparel to effectively change the sporting landscape.The transfer of values from Nike to Jordan to the sports consumer not only imbues an altered culture, tho it also allows the sports consumer to create their own individual identity (McCracken, 1989). As such, the consumer is viewed to adopt the values and culture of the sports celebrity to be more in line with Jordans own and that of Nike (McDonald Andrews, 2001). Smart (2005) maintains that sport stars are very visible to the public and potential consumers because of their on field skills and the associated media coverage for publicly demonstrating such a high level of talent.These sport stars are subsequently in the sights of advertising agencies and sporting corporations to endorse sporting goods and apparel (Smart, 2005). As a result, the so called sporting star is transformed into a sporting celebrity that at times may or may not be this instant linked with their team or their sport. For example, the commercials of Michael Jordan endorsing the Air Jordan shoe by jumping to the basket to the sound of je t engines, constituted the beginning of his cultural ascent to iconic status (Smart 2005, p. 113).Although the advertisement made no mention of the Air Jordan shoes, the image and the subsequent culture of Jordan in the air combined with his cultural on court athleticism, was enough to persuade and influence consumers to make the Air Jordan line of shoes the all time best seeling (Smart 2005, p. 113). The globalisation of sport has eer been associated with advertising and as highlighted by Jackson et al. (2004), advertising has been defined in many ways referable the ever changing nature of advertising.However, Jackson et al.state that advertising has at all times been strategic within the culture and commodification of sports advertising (2004, p. 1). More to the point Jackson et al. (2004) claim that cultural commodities shape ones experience and identities which parallels Smarts (2005) claim that sports celebrities are able to influence and persuade consumers. Additionally, Jac kson et al. (2004) argues that advertising is at the forefront of the global economy and post-modern promotional culture. Taking this into account, advertising plays a key role in consumer culture and within the culture of representation and identity formation (Jackson et al. 2004, p.2).Moreover, I put frontwards that advertising has altered the sporting landscape with predefined cultural meanings by way of celebrity endorsements. The eventual transference of cultural meaning from the advertising agency, endorsed by the sports celebrity and passed on to the consumer not only creates individualised identities and cultural meaning for consumers, but also changes the way sports consumers play sport. As highlighted by Ross, in 2002 Nike promoted a three-a-side sudden-death soccer tournament in a cage inside an abandoned tanker that highlighted the games elite branded pretenders skills, talents and marketability (2004a, p.68).Nike exploited the games stars and consumers by focusing on the individual feats of the elite individual stars rather than on a team focus (Ross, 2004a). Additionally, Nike put into full swing three-a-side tournaments all over the world for teenagers. The immense popularity for this variant of the game altered the way the game was played, where the game was played and therefore changed the cultural sporting landscape.There was no mention of the clothing or footwear worn by the sports celebrities depicted in the commercials rather, Nike concentrated on the three-a-side game and its celebrities to transmit and instil Nikes corporate cultural meanings on the sports fan and potential consumer to purchase Nike merchandise and construct an individual identity. During the globalisation of sport growth years of the former(a) 1990s, Manchester United in an effort to increase revenue of more than just gate receipts, tried to shift fans into customers thorough the selling of sports merchandise.The end result for Manchester United saw an increase of fa ns to more than 25 nations, television deals in 135, its own throw away label and three mega stores (Ross 2004b, p, 88). Consequently, the outcome of the globalisation of Manchester United saw it grow from a soccer club to a global brand. Evidence of being such a global brand is in 1992 when Manchester United and Nike decided to release new playing strips that were continually re repointd almost every year. Although, the Nike swoosh at this stage was indelibly associated with child labour, it did not stop the fans and consumers buying Manchester United sports hail (Ross, 2004b).Nike and Manchester United through specific advertising with sports celebrities were able impart their morally and aesthetic pleasing culture onto the sports consumer combined with that of the sport celebrities own values and culture. Ross sort of rightly points out that there was much public disgust and rage towards Nike for the use of child labour, however, he further claims that because of the silence and possibly even ignorance of the endorsing sports celebrity, Nike and new(prenominal) sports corporations were able to keep the entire celebrity/branding/sweatshop system of the sports goods industry from unravelling (2004b, p. 93).Fundamentally, it is the values and contemporary culture passed on by celebrities that are exploited by sports corporations such as Nike and Adidas that are transmitted and passed onto the consumer (Ross, 2004b). These enforce values and cultures that the sports consumer takes on allows for individual identities to be seen and heard along with their new culture. Smart formulates the globalisation of sport with consumer culture to suggest that the development of modern sport is bound up with processes of economic and cultural geological fault associated with the global diffusion of capitalist forms of uptake (2007, p.113).Similarly, the chairman of Nike parallels Smarts assertions by stating that sport was at the hart of contemporary culture and incre asingly defined the culture of the world (Smart 2007, p. 114). It is not without reason to put forward that professional sport, the media and corporate sponsorship are all linked together to forge massive profit on the backs of sports celebrities and their endorsement of merchandise. More accurately, Smart refers to this as the golden triangle that results with sport being directly coupled with advertising and celebrity endorsements (2007, p.114). much(prenominal) a link between the sports celebrity, advertising and sport itself highlights the importance of globalisation of sport plays in the economy of the consumer, sports corporations, advertising agencies and the various forms of the media. To be more precise, the globalisation of sport is closely linked with the economic interests and the promotion of consumer culture (Smart 2007, p. 114). Sport poses a popular culture assembling and a sense of realism that sporting corporations aim to exploit to increase consumer capital accum ulation.The global brands of sports clubs and celebrities combined with global marketing and the promotion of sports merchandise with iconic celebrity sporting figures only further contributes to the growth of the supporter and consumer cultures (Smart 2007, p. 114). One of the main purposes for making certain sports and sports organisations global is to make and increase profits. The increased level in spectators and consumers attracts media and advertising interest that further increases the demand for sports equipment and specialised sports clothing that is unashamedly endorsed by sporting celebrities.The large economic growth experienced by sporting corporations innately constructs cultural global sports brands that the passionate sports fan can hear with and desires (Smart, 2007). For example, Nikes Air Jordan line of shoes endorsed by Jordan himself transformed Nikes profile, basketball itself and the nature of sports representation that consequently altered the culture of t he consumer and the sporting landscape (Smart 2007 McCracken 1989). Smart (2007) points out that sports corporations predicted and understood the effects of globalising sport and the endorsement by sporting celebrities would only increase their revenue.Therefore, is easy to make the assumption that this understanding can be equated to McCrackens (1986, 1989) theories that symbolic properties and cultural meanings possessed by the celebrity endorser and those of the constituted world are transferred to the consumer goods and then passed onto the consumer. This results in new identities for consumers as well as new or modified cultures. Potentially, the newly formed cultures can change the sporting landscape and place by way of altering the attire worn by participants and also by changing the way the game is played.For instance, backyard or even beach cricket is not played on the traditional field nor do the participants wear traditional attire for cricket. It can be said that these p articipants are influenced by sporting corporations to buy specialised sporting equipment (plastic bats and stumps) and clothing (celebrity endorsed clothing) that is clearly an action of acculturation brought on by sporting corporations and advertising agencies. Rather than one singular cultural identity constructed from the globalisation of sport there are many and varied cultures.Similarly noted by Mitchell, the cultural sporting landscape becomes quite complex with the introduction of different cultures (2000, p. 28). Moreover, Mitchell adds that the morphology of landscape invariably creates and recreates the places and landscapes where people play sport (2000, p. 28). This is echoed through the culture of consumer capitalism and the accumulation of sporting goods and apparel. Hence, the modified clothes and sporting equipment endorsed by the culturally endowed sporting celebrity permits the transfer of cultural meaning and symbolic properties to the consumer (McCracken, 1989) .Bertilsson (2007) has the same opinion that sporting celebrities fashion culture and meaning to the consumer to emphasises the value and meaning channelled into brands (2007, p. 2). Pettigrew puts forward that, sport by its physical nature is a form of consumption that is able to provide insight into the role of consumption in human social life such as sports advertising and the accumulation of sports consumer goods (2001, p. 1). Whats more, Pettigrew (2001) contests that the consumption of sport including sports advertising and consumer accumulation of sporting merchandise attributes to individual lifestyles and social networks.Moreover, the globalisation and marketisation of sport has made sport extremely commercialised that places the sports consumer and fan at a disadvantage because of the over exposure of celebrity sporting endorsements that effectively mould and shape ones social life and culture (Pettigrew 2001, p. 2). Many commentators including Pettigrew (2001) consider sp ort to be vital to culture and as such, sport has been directly associated with the development of self-identity due to the active lifestyles of people following and participating in sport.For that reason, the promotion of sports merchandise by sports celebrities are able to create social interactions (aided by culturally effective advertising themes), with the sports consumer (Pettigrew, 2001). Such employment of sporting themes and sporting celebrities in advertisements facilitates social interaction that portrays an appropriate context for product consumption that allows for self awareness and identity development to take place for the sports consumer.Importantly, advertising agencies identify the potential social interactions and use sporting celebrities to convey precise emotions, values and culture that represent the needs and desires of sports consumers. For example, the Nike brand has become so trusted, consumers are willing to pay top money for what they believe and determ ine to be superior quality, style and reliability (East, 1998). Nike through its Just Do It advertisements with their many celebrity endorsers was able to influence vast amounts of sporting and non-sporting consumers to purchase their footwear.East points out that 80 percent of the running shoes sold in the US were in fact never used for the intended sporting activities that they were designed to do, thus effectively changing the sporting landscape and sporting culture (1998, p. 2). The iconic status Nike was able to develop for itself tended to focus not on the products it was advertising but rather on the celebrity wearing the product (East, 1998). Through its celebrities, Nike was able to articulate to its consumers that Nike products were cool (East, p. 2).East (1998) suggests that the success of Nikes campaign is credited(predicate) to portraying a culture of quality. Moreover, East states that Nike was able to reassure its customers on quality and perfection by using the foll owing sport stars Bo Jackson, John McEnroe and Michael Jordan (2001, p. 2). For instance, East suggests that celebrity endorsements appeal to consumers sense of belonging and hipnes that led to the prophecy if you want to be hip, wear Nike if you are hip, you are probably wearing Nike (East 1998, p. 2).Nikes sporting celebrities were able to impart desirability into owing Nike shoes that not only changed the sporting landscape but it also developed new cultures based on sports corporations and advertising agencies values. Advertising plays an integrating role in cultural practices and the process of globalisation (Jackson et al. , 2004). Advertisements of sport generally contain some form of sports setting, imagery and celebrities to promote sports clothing, sports video games and sports equipment that contributes to the development of the globalised culture of commodification and consumption (Hilliard, 2005).In addition, Hilliard (2005) asserts that sports advertising encompasses e conomy, politics and the media. Furthermore, he notes that sports corporations by way of their association with sport sell a way of life based on consumption by means of sports celebrity endorsements (2005, p. 4). The use of sports imagery is essential for sports advertising to target specific product categories such as clothing lines and video games.Advertising agencies generally use specific techniques to persuade the intended meaning of sport to rub off on their merchandise Firstly, celebrity athletes are presented in non-threatening relationships so as to connect with the intended audience Secondly, advertisers represent sport as a site for hedonistic consumption Thirdly, advertisers continually make reference to sports cliches and slogans that are generally disseminated broadly within the national or territorial reserve culture and lastly, sporting corporations sponsor sport so as to receive the official sponsor tag that appears beside the actual sport logo (Hilliard 2005, p.33 ).Additionally, the recognition and star appeal of the virtual super-human athletic feats of sports celebrities are captured and transposed into the form of video and arcade games. As suggested by Hilliard, the advertising of sports video games may feed into the culture of sports fans of not participating in sport and thus, altering and transforming the sporting field/landscape from outdoors to the mill about room and subsequent TV (Hilliard, 2005).In conclusion, the globalisation of sport occupies an important part in the economy for the consumer, sports corporations, advertising agencies and the media. The golden triangle as described by Smart (2007) illustrates the tactics sports corporations and advertising agencies use to exploit the consumer through intelligent marketing strategies and celebrity endorsements. The resultant symbolic sports branding not only shapes the desires and actions of the sports consumer but also transforms consumer culture and the sporting landscape.Fu rthermore, the globalisation of sport has seen it loose its playful character while its traditional playing field has been extended by the celebrity sports star to be a global media spectacle with a sizeable financial economy. Advertising as stated by McCracken, is the conduit through which meaning constantly pours from the culturally constituted world to consumer goods that allows sports celebrities to become idolised and seen as role models (1989, p. 6).It is from these attributes that sport celebrities and advertising agencies are able promote sports merchandise using the sporting celebritys lifestyle and sporting culture to influence and develop sporting cultures in consumers. Whats more, the golden triangle has altered the sporting landscape with predefined cultural meanings on the back of celebrity endorsements. The advertising technique of not mentioning the actual product but rather concentrating on the sports star and the actions of the sports star indelibly creates sportin g icons and cultural meaning for the sports fan/consumer.Such exploitation by sports corporations allows them to focus on changing popular sports in both rules and the playing field so that the sports consumer will be subdued and manipulated into the capitalist consumption of sports goods that governs the indoctrination of culture, values and social identity. Moreover, the imbued culture and status of wearing and being seen in a particular sports brand combined with the endorsement by celebrities creates a level of trust for consumers.It is this built up trust that consumers are willing to pay top dollar for what they believe is superior quality and reliability, although, in some instances child labour may have been used. The aura of authenticity of sports stars helps sporting corporations to achieve significant profit margins and significant wealth for themselves that further contributes to the globalised culture of commodification and consumption of sport. The immense wealth creat ed by the globalisation of sport for sports corporations, advertising agencies and the sports star has seen sport become a highly capitalist culture.Noting this, sport and sports advertising is vital to the development of consumer identity, lifestyles and social acceptance from the accumulation of sports merchandise and also participating in sport. The unambiguous celebrity advertising techniques allow sports corporations such as Nike and Manchester United to create and sell a way of life based on consumer consumption to generate meaning, culture and identity for the consumer that can potentially change the sporting landscape at the same time.Bibliography Andrews, DL Jackson, SJ 2001, Sport Stars The Cultural Politics of Sporting Celebrity, in Andrews, DL Jackson, SJ (ed. ), Introduction sport celebrities, public culture, and underground experience, Routledge, London, pp. 1-19. Bertilsson, J 2007, The Enculturation of Young Consumers, Proceedings of the Nordic Consumer Policy Res earch Conference 2007, viewed 13 whitethorn 2008, . East, S 1998.