Born to Run

1. I thought this ad seemed very strange upon first seeing it. The opening question in large text left me wondering where the makers of this ad were going with the idea. The dark background and seemingly ominous image of the running shoes made me wonder if this was some kind of attack or accusation against runners. I certainly did not expect the ad to be in support of running. However, as I saw the entire ad campaign on their website, I began to see that they had put much thought and effort into their message.

2. I do not run very often, especially not by the standards of Pearl Izumi. I don’t think the first ad made me feel at all ashamed that I am not a runner, nor did it do much to inspire me to start running. Call me strange, but racing to the point of exhaustion only to find a dead body in the woods or a back alley just isn’t for me. But again, their message did begin to grow on me as I read their vivid description of what it is to be a runner. I can’t promise that it will motivate me to start running on a frequent basis, but I’ll give it some thought.

3. The authors of this advertisement clearly wanted to give readers a different idea of what running truly is, or what it means to them. They make strong distinctions between running and jogging, which they argue is mistaken for running far too often. As part of their definition, they not that “real running makes other people nervous” and go on to explain that it is a much more wild, exhilarating experience than something like jogging. By setting up the advertisement in a short story format featuring main ideas in large text and a few photos, they hold the audience’s attention more easily than they would in a more traditional approach.

4. This ad is obviously promoting physical fitness by means of running. Also, by noting how few real runners there are today, they seem to promote the idea of individualism, of going out and doing something that few others will. Something that frightens others. We have to do it because we were meant to do so.

5. As I went through this advertisement, I did begin to wonder if perhaps they were coming across as a little too condescending towards joggers. They absolutely did alienate the jogging population at certain points, but at the same time, they did so in a way that is bound to make people read on, even if they feel somewhat insulted. I think there are a number of joggers who have read or will read this ad and decide to give running a shot the next time they’re about to jog.

6. I would say that pathos had the greatest appeal in this advertisement. The makers clearly want us to feel a sense of curiosity as to where they are going with this strange idea. What is so bad about jogging? Is there really such a huge difference between jogging and running? The ad also featured a few humorous lines such as “Our ancestors never jogged down a meal” and “ ‘Take a jog at it’ is not a saying for a reason.” They create a clear image of what running is, and motivate us to see if we have what it takes to be a runner.

The Reebok ad seems predominantly logos to me, although it does feature something of a joke with the math equation on the right side. However, it seems to be persuading us not to be too over the top when running, and the vomiting man on the left reminds us of the consequences if we do not listen. This could also be an example of pathos in that we might feel disgusted at the sight of this image.

7. I would choose the Reebok ad to appear in a magazine over the Pearl Izumi. While I ended up being much more intrigued by the entire Pearl Izumi ad, it’s just not realistic to include the whole thing in one magazine. If we were to have only the part about runners finding dead bodies, I think that others may have the same puzzled reaction that I initially had, and that they would never end up seeing the best part of the ad campaign. While I didn’t enjoy the Reebok ad quite as much, it is very attention grabbing, and is not likely to be so controversial, another possible problem with the Pearl Izumi ad. Also, given what was said about the lack of real running amongst people today, readers are likely to relate more to the Reebok ad than the Pearl Izumi.