New Nike Solgan
Jukee
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PORTLAND, Ore. - Nike Inc. is being blasted for replacing its signature "Just Do It" slogan on some T-shirts with the phrases "Dope," ''Get High" and "Ride Pipe."
The shoe and athletic apparel company said the terms are part of the lingo used by the skaters, snowboarders and participants in other extreme sports it's trying to target with the shirts. But critics say the slogans endorse drug use.
Boston's mayor has asked Nike to remove a display of the shirts. And an Oregon antidrug group condemned them in a letter sent to 1,500 people — including some at The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy — urging them to let Nike know they disapprove of the slogans.
"It's gone past edgy," said Tom Parker, spokesman for the Oregon Partnership. "Sure it is the language of skateboarders and surfers, but it's also the language of addicts."
Ride Pipe sounds sexual to me, it doesn't sound like a slogan a drug addict would use
The shoe and athletic apparel company said the terms are part of the lingo used by the skaters, snowboarders and participants in other extreme sports it's trying to target with the shirts. But critics say the slogans endorse drug use.
Boston's mayor has asked Nike to remove a display of the shirts. And an Oregon antidrug group condemned them in a letter sent to 1,500 people — including some at The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy — urging them to let Nike know they disapprove of the slogans.
"It's gone past edgy," said Tom Parker, spokesman for the Oregon Partnership. "Sure it is the language of skateboarders and surfers, but it's also the language of addicts."
Ride Pipe sounds sexual to me, it doesn't sound like a slogan a drug addict would use
If you have nothing to lose, you have nothing to worry about.
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the company came out to make a statement 'Billabong is an Aboriginal word that means 'creek bed'
don't they know what 'slang' means?
–noun
1.
very informal usage in vocabulary and idiom that is characteristically more metaphorical, playful, elliptical, vivid, and ephemeral than ordinary language, as Hit the road.
2.
(in English and some other languages) speech and writing characterized by the use of vulgar and socially taboo vocabulary and idiomatic expressions.
3.
the jargon of a particular class, profession, etc.
I should go out and get some of those Nike shirts, at Zumiez...support my Northwest companies!
- Christopher McCandless
What exactly was the conversation
that led to those slogans?
Did the suits think that kids would giggle
while clueless parents would
idle away on the porch, rocking away
with cats on their laps.
Nitwits...
Oh yeah, 'ride pipe'
sounds absolutely sexual-
nice call!
Cheers.
So, do you think Nike could have found three other phrases within the slang of the skater/surfer they are trying to appeal to that DIDN'T necessarily have this negative conotation? Or could they be loving this free press they're receiving because of this happy accident?
Is Billabong a brand name? I don't see why anyone would want to wear a t-shirt promoting creek beds.
Billabong is a huge company in the skate/surf industry:
and words have so many different meanings...do you think plumbers get joy put of saying 'your ballcock assembly needs replacing'?
maybe these words are popular within that community right now, remember when 'bad' was 'good'?
why does it matter anyway? some kids may not even know what 'dope' is...
- Christopher McCandless
'Cause when a plumber is discussing my ballcock with me, I don't think he/she is referring to my ball/cock.
There are terms, phrases, and words that are running around that some may look at as degrading while other don't see an issue with it.
Let's say 'nappy' in the US some will say 'nappy' means 'gross', in Oz 'nappy' is a diaper, to some African American people it is a not so nice word to describe one's hair.
Let's say the homosexual word that begins with 'F' and rhymes with 'bag'...here it can be taken as a racist term, in the UK it's a cigarette. In the UK someone could make a shirt that says 'I need a bloody *ag' but here, people would be all up in arms.
A foreign exchange student at my school got into an arguement with another student because she kept asking to use his rubber. He was offended but she didn't know that Americans refer to 'rubber' as a condom. All she wanted to use was his eraser.
- Christopher McCandless
They put these shirts in the window of a 5th Avenue store, in the heart of Manhattan, USA... and it's Oregon and Boston who's taking issue, not the fag smoking, rubber using, nappy wearing rest of the world.
By this logic, I should be able to open a store in England selling "Beaver Cleaver" printed t-shirts and no Englanders should be offended because I just think everyone should be a fan of young Jerry Mathers, and no, I'm not wearing a shirt that's calling you a cock!
All I'm getting at is there's no way in hell Nike didn't know what they were doing. If that's the only three phrases they can lift from the lexicon of the surfer/skater, they need to hire a new research staff.
- Christopher McCandless
http://www.cairns.com.au/article/2010/02/04/91475_local-news.html
Words to live by right there!!
I would like a Nike Get High shirt.
thanks for the article! last sentences:
Cassowary Coast Mayor and Mission Beach resident Bill Shannon yesterday described the billboards as hard to miss.
"Personally, they are not to my taste, but I'm not the judge of current morals," he said.
and for EDIT twisty:
- Christopher McCandless
In the same article... "Scotty's Beach House owner Boyd Scott said the new Mission Beach campaign was a lighthearted way to lure more backpackers south."
Huh. Nice color selection for the text
Yah...they knew what they were doing. And you know what...they're just trying to appeal to the masses....
I know...it's all marketing...good press bad press...it's all free advertising! With Nike being based in the NW and we are all basically a 'bunch of hippie tree hugging free spirits' I don't blame them for their choice of phrases.
- Christopher McCandless