The Nike Air Max and Its Significance, Case Study Example

Executive Summary

This report examines the process by which a product is marketed to, and adopted by, sub-cultures and counter-cultures. Using the Nike Air Max as an example, this report explores marketing campaigns and their attempt to cater to particular groups and capitalize on the basic human and socialization needs of members of the population. This report also investigates why some products become popular while others don’t, and how certain environmental and societal changes can make a difference. This report found that the Nike Air Max became popular because of its appeal to the emerging youth basketball, hip-chop, and gabber cultures developing in the American East Coast and Western Europe in the late 1980s, during the original inception of the Air Max in 1987. Using a descriptive case study approach, this report found that Nike’s appeal to individuality, self-transcendence and rebellion made the Air Max particularly popular to youth and will continue to be popular with nearly any youth counter-culture because of these messages. It is recommended that future research campaigns utilize the lessons learned from the development of the Nike Air Max and their successful marketing and branding of the product to specific counter-culture groups.

Introduction

“We used to wear Air Max shoes, that’s true. We grew up where (expletive) jack you, harass you.” So goes the lyrics of “Some L.A. (expletive),” featured on Dr. Dre’s 1999 album, The Chronic 2001. Nike’s Air Max shoes have been featured in a number of other songs as well, and a version of the shoe was the inspiration for both rapper The Game’s “Hate it or Love it,” and Gucci Mane’s “Bricks.” Rapper Waka Flock Flame mentions Air Max shoes in the song “Head First” regarding Lebron James’ use of the product.

Since their original development in 1987, Nike’s Air Max line has seen over 40 subsequent editions. As the Nike Air Max has evolved, its branding has been adopted by a seemingly similar number of sub-cultures. Predominantly popular in the hip hop culture of New York and Los Angeles, the Nike Air Max 95 was deemed as criminal’s number one choice in footwear, according to a 2007 study by the United Kingdom Department of Forensic Science Database. The Nike Air max serves as an extreme example of how commercial products are adopted by various sub-cultures, in this case “Gabbers” and hip hop. Other products that are typically adopted as signs or symbols of sub-culture recognition include jewelry, jackets, tattoos, hairstyles and products, and many more.

Purpose

The purpose of this research project is to analyze the process by which a product or accessory is branded and adopted by such sub-cultures. This paper will also examine why certain products become popular versus other similar products, and what these specific products symbolize to sub-culture members. Finally, using the case of the Nike Air Max as an example, this paper will investigate how advertisers has learned to capitalize on sub-culture instincts to promote their products to specific groups in order to maximize profit.

Literature Review

Buzz Marketing

Products largely popular due to mass marketing campaigns that stir up some sort of excitement or necessity in the product on the part of the company. This marketing strategy, referred to as “buzz marketing” (Henry, 2003), is particularly popular with youth populations. Henry outlines the concept of buzz marketing as it pertains to youth populations, describing the manner in which marketers effectively distort reality and romanticize their products so that youth populations develop a feeling of need. In obtaining this product, teens achieve a sense of social belongingness — a critical need in the identity of young children as they move through the traditional socialization process experienced in schools.

Examples of other successful buzz marketing campaigns include the television show, “South Park”, and their use of shock to stir up a sense of rebellion among American teenagers. Similarly, the food product Pop Rocks, a sweet candy that creates a fizzling sensation in the mouth, utilized buzz marketing when they created a rumor that their product could actually lead to death when mixed with soda. This morbid tale sparked wide interest among youth in their product and Pop Rocks went on to experience a substantial profit.

For products to be “buzzable,” Henry (2003) notes that the product must appear to be invasive, but invited. For example. Pop Rock’s rumor is somewhat distasteful, but because of children’s’ natural curiosity and need for rebellion, this strategy was incredibly effective. Similarly, the product must appear to be individualized. the consumer must feel as though he or she is discovering or realizing a sense of genuine identity which sets them apart from either their peers or other sub-cultures when obtaining the product. The product must also be experiential. People who purchase the product must feel as though they are living life to its fullest by obtaining the product, or that it betters their life in some way. A buzzable product must also be provocative. If it brings forth some for of controversy, or if it promotes a sense of widespread controversy, it will generate a great deal more interest than the average brand and will be a more successful product. The buzzable product must also be conspirational. If the product appears to be related to some sense of conspiracy, it will also generate more interest and appeal to children’s natural sense of rebellion and individuality. The product must demonstrate a sense of connectivity, either to a particular sub-culture or to society as a whole. While a product must promote individuality, it must, as the same time, represent a sense of connectedness to a group of respected peers. Finally, the product must be creative. A product that is similar to every other product in its market will not generate enough interest to be adopted by any one sub-culture.

While buzz marketing is effective for youth populations, it also exists within the adult world (Henry, 2003). Examples of buzzable adult products, according to Henry, include the alcoholic beverage known as the mojito, the television show “Sex and the City,” the erectile dysfunction drug Viagra. Just as with youth, adults experience some sense of disenfranchisement, seek stimulation, are engaged in selective identity formation, aspire to be passionate about life, and seek to belong to some form of identifiable subculture. Adults experience the same sense of disenfranchisement with mainstream society as youth and seek products that bring out their individuality. Like youth, adults constantly seek various ways to stimulate themselves, either through entertainment or sense-related products. Adults continue the self-identity process will into their later years, and when they recognize a product that elicits this sense of identity, they are more likely to purchase it. Adults particularly seek to become, or be viewed as becoming, passionate about life. For adults, products that represent feeling young are primarily buzzable. Finally, adults desire various sub-cultures as well, although these tend to represent less of a rebellion against mainstream society and more a sense of success and independence in older populations.

These basic human needs have been used by marketers to maximize profit in a wide variety of situations in both youth and adult culture. Specifically, the products represent some form of alter ego, or an idealized persona that represents the individual’s ideal self. This self is supposedly on the edge of what is traditionally viewed as socially acceptable.

Cultural Influences on Consumer Behavior

Beyond individual human needs, products also become popular because of what they represent about a particular culture or cultural ideal. It is widely known within the marketing world that cultural has a substantial effect on consumer behavior (Burgh-Woodman, 2007). In general, culture includes the set of norms, roles, beliefs, values, rituals, customs, and artifacts a given population of people consistently display and hold. Culture helps to classify products into units of perceived value within a given society, and influence which products will be successful in which particular culture. For example, the controversy surrounding the intake of Pop Rocks candy would not likely stir up much interest in a culture that experiences extreme poverty, greatly fears death or disregards death, or is in the midst of famine. When these products are classified into valued units, they ultimately develop behaviors, help specify cultural priorities, and then serve to legitimize and justify the particular classifications they hold. For example, because sex is such a strong component of American society, Viagra is incredibly popular in American culture (Henry, 2003).

This cultural process of valuing products affects how consumers recognize, search, and evaluate alternative products when shopping and consuming. Based on cultural norms, which designate acceptable versus unacceptable behavior, cultural members tend to favor certain products versus others. Customs, or behaviors that are passed down from one generation to another, also influence the selection of certain products versus others. Similar concepts, such as mores (moral standards), conventions (standard daily practices) and a general sense of ethnocentrism that exists within every culture, also dictate product selection and consumption. Consumer research tends to reflect how many consumer behaviors are passed down from one generation to another and how generally, collections of products move through society in a somewhat linear fashion. For example, if one’s elder family members wear shoes, the current generation will also wear shoes. Culture tends to reward acceptable behaviors, so selecting products that match cultural values and ideals will provide a greater sense of belongingness.

While cultural influences tend to remain the same, they may also change due to major environmental, political, or social events. In American society in the 1960s, for example, longer hair became the norm as a direct opposition to an increasingly militant society. All societies experience some sense of consumer socialization process that influences the acquisition of mental and physical behaviors related to the purchase of some products versus others.

Sub-Cultures and Consumer Behavior

An interesting phenomenon occurs that tends to run counter to traditional cultural influences on consumer behavior when adopted by various sub-cultures, and even counter-cultures. While culture at large tends to favor acceptable behaviors and promote belongingness, sub-cultures often favor the opposite. According to Schiffman and Kanuk (2009), a sub-culture is a “distinct cultural group that exists as an identifiable segment within a larger, more complex society.” Examples of subcultures include young people, old people, blacks, whites, people who live in the West, males, Christians, and more. A specific type of sub-culture is the counter-culture, or a group that runs counter to the values, behaviors, and beliefs of the social mainstream.

Certain advertising campaigns tend to either purposefully or inadvertently market to certain sub-cultures or count-cultures (Burgh-Woodman, 2007). For example, a magazine ad for a particular shoe that shows men and women of various races wearing the shoe is catering to males and females of all races. However, a similar ad that shows an African American playing basketball is targeting a very narrow sub-culture. Each sub-culture or counter-culture comes with its own set of characteristics that influence how they select certain products. Hispanics, for instance, tend to prefer well-know brands and ones that represent a sense of prestige (Schiffman & Kanuk, 2009). Religious sub-cultures select products that directly pertain to their chosen religion and acknowledge certain holidays. It comes as no surprise that the largest consumers of Christmas cards each year are Christians (Schiffman & Kanu, 2009).

With respect to counter-cultures, products become popular in these groups for the exact opposite reasons that products are popular in more mainstream groups Gunter, 2008). Counter-cultures value rebellion, individuality, and a sense of “bucking” the traditional values held by older generations. The “generation X” term is an example of a counter-culture that emerged in response to the “Baby Boomer” society of the past. Pepsi capitalized on the generation X counter-culture with their “generation neXt” campaign in the late 1990s and early 2000s. A similar age-related counter-cultures includes generation Y, or those born between 1977 and 1994. Generational counter-cultures tend to run in contrast to each other with respect to the values and beliefs they hold. The Baby Boomers of the 1960s wore long hair to separate themselves from the short, military haircuts of their parents. Generations X and Y wore all kinds of wild hairstyles, such as mohawks and buzz cuts, to separate themselves from the long, free style of their parents.

As part of the counter-culture identification process, groups select products that represent the opposite perspective of previous generations (Gunter, 2008). Any product that represents a direct opposition to either mainstream society or a previous generation is more likely to appeal to a particular counter-culture. Marketers that capitalize on this counter-culture identification process can become successful in a narrow subset of the population. Mountain Dew became popular with youth counter-cultures in the 1990s with their “Do the Dew” campaign that idealized extreme sporting events, and living a young, active lifestyle. Very little of the counter-culture branding used by marketers has to do with the product itself, but, rather, the way in which it is marketed. Counter-cultures value any product that advocates a sense of nonconformity. Essentially, if it is different, some counter-cultures will identify with it. The challenge marketers must face is continuing to cater to various counter-cultures, subcultures, and mainstream cultural values as a whole. One particular area of difficulty companies face is the branding of products that all generations value (Schiffman & Kanuk, 2003). For example, all members of society now value and utilize the internet. Computers companies face the difficulty of marketing easy-to-use features to older generations, and advanced technology to younger generations. Apple has been successful in merging these two important concepts. With their simplicity of design and cutting edge technology, Apple has promoted the idea that, regardless of the advanced features of a product, simplicity is always a valuable component of any product.

Case Study: Nike Air Max

Nike designed its Air Max product line in 1987. Since its inception, Nike has continued to update its original Air Max line and the shoe remains a popular choice by many active people today. The shoe was revolutionary because of its air-cushioning unit in the heel, which sparked hundreds of U.S. patents and changed the sporting shoe world forever. The air cushioning unit, a small, clear pouch in the heel of the shoe, is visible in most models and was the first of its kind to use such a design. The shoe was an instant hit with basketball players because of Nike’s claims that the shoes were substantially more comfortable than other shoes of its kind and “tuned” air into the foot. Some even felt that the shoes allowed them to jump higher and land softer. Members of the National Basketball Association popularized these shoes even more by wearing them in games, and youth athletes who emulated these athletes quickly purchased them as well. What Nike did not plan for was the significant popularization of these products with two emerging counter-cultures.

Right around the time the Nike Air Max hit the market in the late 1980s, the hip-hop culture was beginning to expand throughout American streets. A predominantly young, male, African American culture strongly identified with this new style of music, sometimes called rap, that was a direct opposition to the fluid, melodic, R&B music of the 1970s. This newer form of music preached rebellion, individuality, and sometimes violence, particularly against authority figures such as police. As African American men increasingly dominated the NBA, hip-hop became a significant part of NBA culture. Young, African American males throughout the country idealized these NBA players, who listened to hip-hop and wore Nike Air Max shoes. The Nike Air Max quickly became as much a part of young hip-hop culture in America as the music itself. Unfortunately, a portion of the hip-hop culture also became involved in counter-cultures such as street gangs, and the Nike Air Max became a cultural identifier for these groups. The negative connotation of the Nike Air Max with respect to gang activity led to a number of beatings and some fatalities among gang members in the theft of these shoes in the 1980s and 1990s. The impoverished lives on young gang members and the prestige seen in wearing Nike Air Max shoes forced many to acquire them by violent means. As the gang culture as lessened in America, the Nike Air Max is now viewed as a universal sporting shoe and less of a hip-hop identifier.

A similar occurrence happened with the development and promotion of the Nike Air Max in Europe. “Gabbers,” a counter-culture of European teens that listened to techno and electronic music in the late 1980s and 1990s, also adopted the Nike Air Max as a cultural identifier during this time. While a far-less violent counter-culture than the hip-hop culture in America, the Nike Air Max developed negative connotations throughout Europe, particularly Holland, because of its associations with the youth who wore these shoes while taking drugs, and participating in a number of risky behaviors. To a lesser extent, the Nike Air Max was adopted by the similar punk culture in America.

Regardless of the negative associations formed by these counter-cultures and the Nike Air Max shoes, Nike experienced tremendous early business success and the Air Max continues to be Nike’s best-selling shoe line of all time. Nike was wise in its marketing strategies that capitalized on all the needs and desires of youth-counter cultures to advertise their product. The buzz surrounding some of the violent activity served to stir up a sense of conspiracy surrounding the product, an essential component of a buzzable product (Henry, 2003). The shoe quickly became romanticized by youth hip-hop cultures that sought to play in the NBA, as well as young teens in Europe who glamorized the wild party seen of those who wore the Air Max. The shoe represented living life to its fullest and fulfilling one’s dreams to both hip-hoppers and gabbers, and wearing the shoes helped members of these counter-cultures feel a sense of belongingness and connectedness to their peers. While the shoe’s negative connotations seemed invasive to parents, rebellious youth found them inviting and provocative. The shoe was creative in its design and individuals who wore these shoes felt a strong sense of individuality because of its uniqueness and separation from mainstream tennis shoes.

Goldman and Papson (1998) illustrate how Nike has shaped youth culture as a whole. Beyond the Air Max, the Nike Swoosh, an unmistakable logo designed to look like a wing, was seemingly everywhere in the 1980s and 1990s. The Swoosh itself became a cultural sign of prosperity, vigor, and affluence. The advertising company who popularized both the Swoosh and the Nike Air Max, Wieden & Kennedy, admit to appealing to the youth counter-cultures who originally sought out the shoes. The large Swoosh on all Nike Air Max shoes quickly gained an identification level that rivaled Coca-Cola, and translated to record earnings quarter after quarter in the 1980s and 1990s. Nike soon saw that advertising was no longer about selling shoes, but keeping the Swoosh visible and valued in youth populations. Nike commercials always invite viewers into fantasies of individualism, and regardless of the generation or culture, will always be popular among youth (Goldman & Papson, 1998). Goldman and Papson summarize Nike’s successful advertising strategy in the 1980s and 1990s:

“Looking at Nike’s advertising from the late 1980s through the mid 1990s, we find Nike ads come in two basic flavors. One flavor is of an irreverent, winking attitude toward everything that smacks of commodity culture. Nike adopts a self-reflexive posture about the formulas of consumer goods advertising as well as a self-aware attitude about its own position as a wealthy and powerful corporation in an industry based on influencing desires and tastes. These ads speak to savvy and jaded viewers about the glossy, staged exultations of one brand or another that daily assaults us. In these ads, Nike hails viewers wary of the continuous incursion of commodified discourses into all life spheres. In the second flavor, however, Nike contrsucts itself as the vehicle of an ethos that integrates themes of personal transcendence, achievement, and authenticity. We call this Nike’s motivational ethos. By mixing these two flavors of advertising, Nike as created an advertising discourse that is able to present itself as a legitimate public discourse. Nike advertising has ventured beyond the typical advertising agenda of merely building up its own sign to construct what appears to be a personal philosophy of daily life (3).”

One can see from Nike’s early marketing campaign that the success of the product had as much to do with the image behind the use that purchased as it did with the revolutionary design. For this reason, it’s easy to see why the Nike Air Max became so popular with youth counter-cultures who were rejecting the commodity-based society in which they lived in the 1980s.

Conclusions and Recommendations

The purpose of this report was to analyze the process by which a product or accessory is branded and adopted by various sub-cultures and counter-cultures. This paper also examined why certain products become popular versus other similar products, and what these specific products symbolize to sub-culture members. Finally, using the case of the Nike Air Max as an example, this paper sought to investigate how advertisers have learned to capitalize on sub-culture instincts to promote their products to specific groups in order to maximize profit.

The Nike Air Max serves as an excellent example of corporate branding to cater to sub-cultures and counter-cultures to maximize profit. Through a series of fortunate cultural events, in this case the emergence of hip-chop and gabber counter-cultures, Nike capitalized on the natural need for youth to rebel against their previous generational sub-cultures and form their own sense of identity. Nike’s marketing campaign preached individuality, self-transcendence, and rebellion to appeal to a massive young population and exponentially increased their profits. The combination of Nike’s innovative Air Max design, hip-hop and basketball culture, their increasing brand recognition related to the Swoosh design, and their marketing campaign that thoroughly understood the needs and desires of America’s counter-cultural youth, The Air Max became one of the best-selling shoes of all time.

Future research in advertising should emulate Nike’s strategies that catered to these emerging counter-cultures and how Nike appealed to as large an audience as possible while still maintaining its idealized individuality and rebellion against cultural norms and values. For example, Reebok responded to Nike’s Air Max shoe with their “Pump,” a bubble in the tongue of the shoe that could fill with air. However, the Reebok Pump never became as popular as the Air Max because of a significantly different marketing campaign. Research needs to investigate current societal sub-cultures and counter-cultures and how to best market products to these groups. While hip-hop and gabber cultures may not exist to the extent they did in the late 1980s and 1990s, society will always experience its on counter-cultures. It’s up to marketing agencies to examine the best manner in which to target these groups, while also appealing to a large audience. Throughout its history, Nike’s marketing strategy has not changed significantly. However, the shoe will always appeal to rebellious youth sub-cultures and counter-cultures because of its continued message of individuality and rebellion. Wise marketing campaigns will seek to utilize the lessons learned from Nike’s Air Max campaign and its branding in general, in order to appeal to an ever-changing youth market.

Reference

Burgh-Woodman, H., & Brace-Govan, J. (2007). We do not live to buy: Why subculturesare different from brand communities and the meaning for marketing discourse. International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy, 27:5/6, 193-207.

Goldman, R., & Papson, S. (1998). Nike Culture. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

Gunter, A. (2008). Growing up bad: Black youth, ‘road’ culture and badness in an East London neighbourhood. Crime Media Culture, 4:3, 349-366.

Henry, A. (2003). How buzz marketing works for teens. Young Consumers: Insight and Ideas for Responsible Marketers, 4:3, 3-10.

Schiffman, L., & Kanuk, L. (2009). Consumer Behavior (9th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.