"Just Do…" What you see: A Narrative Approach to Masculine Identity in Nike Football Commercials

Abstract

It has been widely documented that we live storied lives. Through narrative structures which pervade society, we are offered a template upon which we can form a sense of body-self identity. This research asserts that Nike, as a multi-national and highly recognizable sports company, present dominant forms of cultural narrative in relation to the body through their advertising campaigns. These narrative resources therefore recycle dominant images of body narrative, which are potentially problematic when applied to identity construction. This study assesses the problematic nature of limited capacity for the development of masculine identities through analysis of two Nike Football commercials, "Take Control" and "Take it to the Next Level". In combining thematic analysis with self-narrative, the study aims to both tell and show how body-self identities in football are affected, both generally and subjectively, by Nike’s implicit cultural messages.