Nike + advert?!?!

[notobvious]

I just saw that nike plus advert with a guy running - the basic theme is that he hates it and it sucks - it ends up with a picture of him with 'man boobs' bouncing and he says, 'do you know what sucks worse? man boobs'. I just feel this is really insensitive and completely trivialises the condition, especially as we know exercise can't cure it. :/

Cant find a youtube link atm

[theblues]

Yeah, it seems to be the general stereotype..."just stop complaining and do some exercise you lazy bastard, and they'll go away!".

People have no idea how much of a torture this is, just because you CAN'T do anything about it without spending lots of money on surgery. 

[Mr_Nip]

Let's organize and boycott 'em!  Woo Hoo! 

[notobvious]

i'm gonna e-mail them and ofcom and see what they say.

[socorock]

Yeah, i saw that the other day, at first i wasnt sure if i heard right! I was so p*ssed off!! Assholes!
They have no idea what it is like to suffer from this. And you cant get rid of it with exercise!! so thats just like kicking you when you're down! 

[Jackd]

I really want to see this advert for myself... can't find it on youtube, visit4info.com or the nike + site though 

however, that nike + does seem a very good idea. I've just been looking into it and its pretty damn clever, and may be the answer to peoples motivational problems as you can join a group of online friends and compare all your running results and race each other etc etc.

[Chodel]

I think everyone should take the time to email and complain!  This is just wrong.

Please make the effort to email in!

[notobvious]

I e-mailed ASA, the regulatory advertising body in the UK and I reckon there's a pretty good chance they'll agree with me, hopefull I'll have a reponse soon. I couldn't really find adequate contact details on the Nike+ website I thought it would be relevant to make a complaint to but if anybody knows of one that would be great.

[notobvious]

did you tell them about this website or about this thread?

no

[Grandpa Bambu]

I want to see the video

Nike Video

GB

[Grandpa Bambu]

Yeah, it seems to be the general stereotype..."just stop complaining and do some exercise you lazy bastard, and they'll go away!".

It's just a lack of knowledge dude. Most people do not know the word 'Gynecomastia'. Most people do not know, that for the majority, 'diet/exercise' will not get rid of gyne. Many people are not aware that both males and females have the same 'basic' breast 'plumbing'.

The people at Nike involved in producing the vid may (wrongfully) 'believe' that all you have to do to get rid of gyne is proper diet and exercise. We have to educate them that this is just not the case.

People have no idea how much of a torture this is.

Same idea here... we must 'educate' the uneducated... 

GB

[Grandpa Bambu]

I sent Nike Canada this email....

"Hello…

I am sending you this email in regard to your recent advertising video:

http://download.guardian.co.uk/sys-video/Media/video/2007/06/05/NikePlusAd.mov

Your video suggests, that all a guy has to do to get rid of his M(o)(o)bs, is to run... or in general terms, exercise. This is just not the case. If you visit gynecomastia.org, or this thread...

http://www.gynecomastia.org/smf/index.php/topic,10317.new.html#new

in particular, on gynecomastia.org, you will soon come to the realization that you cannot just ‘exercise’ gynecomastia (man boobs) away!

Basically, you are telling guys to get off their lazy asses and exercise even though they think that running ‘sux’. You are telling guys that m(o)(o)bs suck worse than running, therefore running is the ‘lesser’ of the two evils (so to speak...).

Anyways... I feel that you should pull this video as it is misinforming (false advertising) the gynecomastic sufferer and also the general public. Your video will give people the misconception that guys with man boobs are lazy. Well, actually, to an extent this is true. Gynecomasita is the reason why most guys do not participate in physical activity. Do you realize the enormous embarrassment the gynecomastic sufferer must endure when his m(o)(o)bs bounce ‘to and fro’ when engaging in such a physical activity as running or jogging. For many sufferers, the ‘embarrassment’ is far too great to participate in any physical activity and therefore they gain weight. For most sufferers, physical activity is not the answer to getting rid of their man boobs. In the majority of cases, only a surgical procedure can remove gynecomastia.

Please watch this video:

http://digg.com/videos/people/Do_you_have_man_boobs_that_wont_go_away_It_may_be_Gynecomastia

After you have watched the video, you will then understand why ‘your’ video is very misleading.

I know that man boobs suck. I had to live with m(o)(o)bs for 31 years. I got off my ass, I ran (not with Nike products mind you...), I exercised my way to 148 lbs standing at 6 feet. Very thin! However, I still had my man boobs. Man boobs on a thin guy just looks odd! As I discovered that loosing weight did not correct the problem, the weight piled back on. On February 16, 2005, I had surgery to correct my gynecomastia.

What I am trying to convey here is that your video is inappropriate and should be discontinued."


Regards,

John Paul Bell (Grandpa Bambu)
Brampton, Ontario.
bambu@rogers.com


I wonder if Nike will reply?

GB

[Mr_Nip]

OK, I finally watched the video and there's no need for them to pull the video and waste the money they had to spend producing it.  All they would have to do is change the voice over to something like "...but it doesn't suck as much as being fat."   The video part isn't offensive, IMHO.  It's just those few seconds of voice over that cause the problem.  It would be a cheap and easy edit fix for Nike, and then they'd be making a true statement rather than a discriminatory one based on a false stereotype. 

[Grandpa Bambu]

Agreed!

Good thinking Nip... 

GB

[Grandpa Bambu]

I wonder if Nike will reply?

Here is Nike's reply...

"Dear John Paul,

Thank you for taking the time to contact us here at Nike Canada.

We welcome constructive comments concerning our advertising and appreciate that you took the time to contact us.

We have forwarded your comments to our Advertising and Marketing Department for review. Consumer observations have a vital impact on our marketing research and techniques.

Once again, thank you for contacting us here at Nike!"

Sincerely,

Elise
Nike Canada Ltd.
Consumer Affairs

GB