Every time you turn on a football, basketball, or baseball game and see your favorite players on the screen, what is the first thing that comes to your mind? Is it stats, what they're wearing, what bat is he swinging, or is it what commercial they've been in recently? In today's sports scene, professional athletes are being used as giant billboards for house hold brands. Bryce Harper, baseball star that is only 20 years old is in every Under Armor commercial because he uses their products. He is looked up to by millions of young athletes and when they see him using the Under Armor brand then that puts the impression in all of their minds that if they use Under Armor then they can be like Bryce Harper. Kids learn this at a young age and are turned into life long users of that brand.
When a Nike commercial comes on and a young boy or girl sees it and sees their favorite athlete on the tv wearing that brand, they want Nike. Michael Jordan is no longer a sports superstar but rather a giant brand. When I look at MJ now, I don't see the greatest basketball player ever. I see the Hanes brand, Jordan's (shoes), or even the no bacon neck shirt guy. Branding is beginning to ruin major sports icons that were once known for their athletic achievements. Eventually Bryce Harper will be one giant brand and he is well on his way. He is endorsed by every major sports clothing line, Mizuno bats and gloves, so basically he is selling out early in his career. When basketball or baseball players go onto the court or field, they are marketing their brand. They want people to buy their product so they brand themselves and wear their own products making them a walking self indulging billboard. Who knew so many super stars could be branding sell outs? We see in all of the Nike and Under Armor commercials that if you buy their products that it will make you more of an individual and stand out. What happens when everyone wants to be an individual and buys these products, you create a giant sub culture of people trying to be individuals that in turn kills all individualism. The giant companies that say they promote individualism really don't. The more people that buy their products the more money that goes into their pockets. So while all of those retired athletes that haven't played a sport in years, just sit back in their comfy life and make cheesy commercials, we the consumers really display the products. But we don't make money for wearing Nike shorts to the gym or taking a picture of you and your new Adidas shoes. Nope, the people that make a 15 second commercial make all the dough and then just live off the interest.
I just think it's unfair for old sports stars to make money for not doing anything while we the consumers buy the products and display it in the public eye every day. Without us their are no brands or branding. So maybe we should get a little more recognition than Michael Jordan or Shaq that don't do anything towards the product. So let the big athletes that say they love these big name brands and supposedly wear them, let them make all the money when they shouldn't. That's fine I guess, but these big corporations should just think about one thing. With us their is no one to "brand"'and we don't have to buy name brand items. It would be cheaper for me to go to Walmart and buy their version of shoes and clothing. So maybe we should do what all of these name brand commercials tell us to do and that is to go be individuals. Individuals that don't wear the same thing and that aren't branded from birth like a farm animal. This is America and we are built on the foundation that we should all be individuals and last time I checked Bryce Harper and MJ's personalities and styles are taken.... by them. So go out and be yourself and make your own brand, for you and you only.
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