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Universidade Autónoma de Lisboa
e-ISSN: 1647-7251
Thematic dossier
International Relations and Social Networks
July 2021
44
SPORTS CELEBRITY AS AN INTERMEDIARY AND CULTURAL INSTRUMENT OF
FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS AND ETHNIC-RACIAL EQUALITY.
A STUDY OF THE CORPORATE CAMPAIGN "COMMON THREAD", PUBLISHED BY
THE SPORTS BRAND NIKE ON INSTAGRAM
JAVIER DÍAZ-BAJO RODRIGUEZ
javier.diazb@edu.uah.es
Ph.D. candidate and Assistant Professor of Audiovisual Communication and Researcher at the
University of Alcalá (Spain). Member of the research group Images, Words and Ideas. His
research focuses on discursive and narrative practices conducted by corporate brands through
digital media.
RUT MARTÍNEZ-BORDA
rut.martinez@uah.es
Professor of Audiovisual Communication and Research Fellow at the University of Alcalá (Spain).
Dr Martínez-Borda is a member of the research group Images, Words and Ideas. Her research
focuses on human practices supported by digital technologies, audiovisual narratives,
videogames and fandom. Her current projects are supported by the Spanish Ministry of Culture
and Education. She has been a visiting scholar at the Institute of Education (University of
London); University of Westminster in London; University of Delaware in Philadelphia.
Abstract
Corporate brands play a social role through the discourses they broadcast on their social
media. The sports celebrity acts as a cultural intermediary and communicating instrument in
the value system that the brand brings together in defence of social, cultural and ethnic
diversity (Turner, 2004; Erdogan, 1999; Marshall, 1997).
From this perspective, the aim of this proposal is to detect the socio-cultural elements that
articulate the discourse constructed by the Nike sports brand in defence of racial and ethnic
equality in sport.
Methodologically, the content analysis approach is adopted (Krippendorff, 2013).
The data consists of 3 short films that make up a campaign created by the sports brand Nike
called "Common Thread". The criterion for their selection was the discursive projection that
the brand emits in favour of socio-cultural equality on Instagram.
In order to define the model of analysis, the classical studies of Greimas (1976) and
McCracken (1989) is taken as a starting point.
The results show that the brand manifests itself on social media as a social agent that
promotes equality and racial-ethnic rights for the black sports community through sport and
culture.
Keywords
Brand; values; celebrity; discourse; social media.
How to cite this article
Díaz-Bajo Rodriguez, Javier; Martínez-Borda, Rut. Sports celebrity as an intermediary and
cultural instrument of fundamental rights and ethnic-racial equality. A study of the corporate
campaign "common thread", published by the sports brand NIKE on Instagram. Janus.net, e-
journal of international relations. Thematic dossier International Relations and Social
Networks, July 2021. Consulted [online] on date of last visit, https://doi.org/10.26619/1647-
7251.DT21.4
Article received on January 5, 2021 and accepted for publication on March 21, 2021
JANUS.NET, e-journal of International Relations
e-ISSN: 1647-7251
Thematic dossier International Relations and Social Networks (July 2021), pp. 44-60
Sports celebrity as an intermediary and cultural instrument
of fundamental rights and ethnic-racial equality.
Javier Díaz-Bajo Rodriguez, Rut Martínez-Borda
45
SPORTS CELEBRITY AS AN INTERMEDIARY AND CULTURAL
INSTRUMENT OF FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS AND ETHNIC-RACIAL
EQUALITY. A STUDY OF THE CORPORATE CAMPAIGN "COMMON
THREAD", PUBLISHED BY THE SPORTS BRAND NIKE ON
INSTAGRAM
1
JAVIER DÍAZ-BAJO RODRIGUEZ
RUT MARTÍNEZ-BORDA
1. Introduction
The most classical sociological contributions have, over the last few decades, delved
deeper into the symbolic character and the cultural meaning that underlies consumption
practices and the communicative interactions that revolve around this phenomenon
(López de Ayala, 2004; Semprini, 1995).
The Nike corporate brand acquires a social function in its own Instagram account, through
the discursive broadcasting of values with a social and cultural character. The sports
celebrity acts as a mediator and communicating instrument of a symbolic field that has
been constructed and distributed by the brand (Turner, 2004; Erdogan, 1999; Marshall,
1997).
From this perspective, the research questions are as follows:
- What are the socio-cultural values underlying the symbolic field constructed by the
brand?
- What narrative patterns articulate the discursive instrumentalisation produced by
celebrities and athletes?
In order to answer the questions posed by this research, we take as a starting point the
classical studies by Greimas (1976) and McCracken (1989). We have initially relied on
these two theoretical models to design a methodological strategy that allows us to
identify the narratological elements that articulate the discursive emission of socio-
cultural values.
1
Article translated by the autor and reviewed by Carolina Peralta.