Be Like Mike

This ad shows some of. Michael Jordan’s most famous clips playing basketball in the NBA. Then it shows all different ages of people playing basketball trying to “be like Mike.” Throughout all of this Michael Jordan and other people are drinking Gatorade and having a good time. This ad sends the message that in order to be an elite athlete, you have to drink Gatorade.

The target audience for this ad would be kids all the way to teens. These kids really love basketball and look up to than Michael Jordan. They want to “be like Mike.” This ad targets kids and teens who want to be an elite athlete and have big aspirations for their future just like Michael Jordan. This ad is telling the audience that in order to be a successful athlete they must drink Gatorade. Michael Jordan drinks Gatorade and look how successful he is. It fulfills the need for something to keep you at the top of your game, and become elite.

In the end this ad is impacting public perception of what it takes to be an athlete. This is especially successful among kids and young teens. Young kids and teens don’t realize that there is more to becoming a world class athlete than drinking a sports drink. Many older people realize what is happening because it is obvious that a drink will not make to play like Mike, but younger viewers, that the ad is targeting, don’t. This ad puts us farther into the cave because of how it convinces kids and young teens that all they have to do is drink Gatorade and they will “be like Mike.” This is clearly not the case but it creates a shadow over the work that it actually takes to be a world class athlete.