Blackspots: attacking Nike
Staff, Brand Republic 08:30 26-02-2004 NEW YORK - Adbusters, the anti-globalisation organisation, is to bring anti-corporate activism into the mainstream by launching Blackspots, its own ethical trainer, in a bid to take on the might of global brand Nike. News of the launch was released last year but the organisation, which describes itself as being concerned with the "erosion of physical, cultural and mental environments by commercial forces", has launched the first phase of its marketing strategy.Adbusters has a budget of around £130,000 to make Nike appear uncool. The first part of the marketing strategy, the "unswoosh", aims to spend a chunk of this budget on a full-page "sub-vertisement" in the New York Times, which will proclaim that the brand is designed "for only one thing. Kicking Phil's [Knight, founder of Nike] ass".Looking remarkably like the Converse All Star, which lost its iconic independent status when it was bought by Nike last July for a reported £175m, the Blackspot pays homage to the Robert Louis Stevenson novel 'Treasure Island', where giving someone the 'black spot' is the kiss of death.This is exactly what Kalle Lasn, editor of bi-monthly magazine Adbusters, hopes the trainer will do to Nike-owned Converse."By wearing Blackspots and explaining the reasons for them, we'll politicise people. People will see they have the power to change things and it's fun to be political," Lasn said. "You can't manufacture real cool, though Phil Knight has tried by paying celebrities to endorse Nike products.""Swoosh is a mindgame," Lasn said, referring to the iconic Nike logo. "Kids who buy it believe they'll be empowered but they won't. It's depressing."Lasn added: "Phil is playing a monopoly game. He's threatened and vulnerable. I've launched an attack on him and I hope we have a personal confrontation some day."So far 256 independent retailers have agreed to take on the trainer. Some of these are thought to be in the UK. Blackspots will be priced at around £21 and the company is also in talks to find a suitable factory to manufacture the trainers. Lasn claims that Adbusters is looking for a place where workers rights are taken seriously. They can be pre-ordered through the website
BlackspotSneaker.Adbusters bi-monthly magazine is full of defaced ads and digs at well-known brands such as Nike.Nike is one of the most controversial "superbrands". It is regularly accused of exploitative labour practices. However the company maintains that it has a strict code of conduct and carries out regular internal and external audits to weed out child workers.
http://adbusters.org/thefront/news.html
