Post 8: The Other Black and Yellow

It's true that we will never prevent ourselves from falling into the pit of advertising and consumerism. Companies and advertisers trick us, play to our subconscious impulses, force us to buy things. For example, Nike has driven its superiority into our minds so that every man, woman, and child can recognize its brand over any other. How can it repay us for its aggressive marketing campaigns? Cyclist Lance Armstrong found a way. Let profits from sales go to a cause. A good one. Something that can make a difference in the world. Lance has touched upon one of the most tragic diseases we know today. And by using his authority as a national sport icon, he has worked with Nike towards raising money for his foundation. True, Nike gets profit out of this. But either way, their cooperation has the power to change lives.

It's a powerful idea. Practically trademark a color scheme. Make it your own. Advertise it to both athletes and activists. And, most importantly, get a multimillion dollar conglomerate on board. Millions of people have purchased Livestrong (Lance's trademark) products. That is a significant amount of money going towards the foundation. People that would normally not donate money are doing so through their interest in athletic performance and color-coordination. This sort of cooperation is a perfect plan to get more support for important foundations. The way I see it, Nike has way too much money. And if they are not going to pay their overseas workers any more for production, they should at least give away some of their profit. I think every color scheme should have a foundation attached to it. Not only would the previous consumers be giving money, but the people who were too guilty about buying Nike products would be more likely to buy the product to support the cause as well. It's a win-win situation. And it is making lives better.

The moral of this partnership is: learn from Lance Armstrong. True, Nike is doing a bit of good, but it is the actions of this athlete that really matter. He took his battle with cancer and turned it into a cause. To overcome hardship is one thing; to work hard to help others overcome their own hardship is another, more admirable thing. If we want to progress as a society, we must remain focused on the issues of everyone.