My Butt Is Big: Ad Analysis 23204i

My Butt is Big !

The My Butt is Big ad by Nike explicitly tells the reader that this woman likes the

way her body is, and that she could care less what other people think. The ad implies that she is some sort of pro athlete because no ordinary gym attendee performs “ten thousand lunges.” She also seems ionate about sport in itself, not simply as a way of staying fit. Another present implication is that a “big butt” is typically seen as a flaw and in contemporary society it is. This Womenʼs ad takes a spin on the way that women harp on the figure of their behind. Instead of saying “does this make my butt look big?” the proud woman is praising her larger asset. This is something that almost everyone over the age of 10 can understand. The choice of word - butt - is an informal, kind, and kid-friendly way of referring to the ass. It seems more polite, and I think that most people would agree with me. Using the word “skinny” to describe the women that are herded away from the best deals, connotes that they are too small to fill out certain articles of clothing - almost unhealthily thin. !

This ad uses informal language bringing commonality, casualness, and

friendliness to the text. The common expression of confidence, ʻkiss my assʼ is - in essence - used on the second last line. Utilizing informal language makes the ad relatable and approachable. !

The text of the ad seems to fit around the curves of the womanʼs body,

accentuating her curves. As well, “MY BUTT” is in much larger capital letters than the rest of the text which is in fact all in capital letters too. These are both used to emphasize the focus - her butt. The corners and borders of the page are shaded so as

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to cause the readerʼs eye to focus on the center (this is a film technique). Oneʼs eye is immediately drawn to the crux of the ad - the image and text. !

The use of three metaphors in this ad may cause the language to be ambiguous

to the common reader - although the ad seems to clear up any confusion at the beginning and end of the text, which is smart to ensure understanding. The ad compares her behind to a “space heater for [her] side of the bed.” Women tend not to deal with the cold as well as men, because they do not have as much muscle mass. The woman in the ad - on the other hand - is built, and is represented as separate from other women - as an individual. In addition, the reference to a space heater - a middle to lower class product - may be an attempt by the ad to target those classes. This is a great possibility because I saw a Nike ad before this that displayed a women tying her shoelaces in front of a filthy broken-down car that was supposedly hers. The third metaphor involves herded skinny women and clothing sales. In this day of American culture - which is what I assume this article is directed at - fashion and consumerism are large pieces of many womenʼs lives. Staying in physical shape and maintaining oneʼs health are dominant contemporary concepts. In addition, more and more women are strongly standing out as dignified, productive of society. The most respected people today are those who are confident in being who they are regardless of what others think. This notion has more recently become popular as issues such as bullying have become more common. After reading the ad, most readers would have a reaction comparable to that of someone saying, “good for her” or “you go girl.” !

The ment makes the reader trust it for two main reasons. Firstly, the

reader wants to trust it because it conveys a heartening message and there is no good

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that will come from distrusting it. On the other hand, if the message was too joyous or depressing, the reader would speculate. Secondly, we have a pre-conceived notion that good-looking people are good and honest people (I personally find the woman in the ad good-looking). We have this because we want them to be. If a very attractive woman walks up to a man and says she likes him, he is going to believe it (of course there may be flaws with that example). !

This ad conveys that Nikeʼs female products are for strong, proud, self-respecting

women - or women who intend on becoming that way with the use of Nike products. I think that only uneducated people or very inexperienced people would interpret it differently. Even those who find the woman in the ad repulsive would take my side.

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