Symbols in Sports and Society

Advertising and symbolic reference are synonymous with each other. The media uses symbols to relate their product or service to a subject that is popular with society. In many ways, advertisers focus more on the symbol that will represent their product than the actual product itself. Cereal boxes have cartoon characters as their symbol so kids can relate. While Froot Loops uses Toucan Sam to relate to children, Wheaties uses Tiger Woods or other sports stars to entice the older crowd. While not always used in the best context, symbols provide a connection between the media and the public.

Athletes and entertainers have been the most productive symbols in advertising for the last century. From Babe Ruth advertising cigars to LeBron James promoting Nike sneakers, the world has come to follow the products that these celebrities endorse. Athletes are paid millions to endorse products and the producers know that one picture of that athlete can be the difference between success and failure of a product. Rap star Jay-Z has used his own likeness to promote his personal line of clothing, Roca-Wear. It is not considered to be one of the designer brands of clothing, yet it sells over $300 million worth of clothing per year, due in part to the fact that he advertises it in all of his videos. The kids watching the videos want to be as much like him as they can, so they flock to the clothing that he wears.

Athletes are considered golden until they have a public problem. O.J. Simpson and Kobe Bryant were looked upon as great symbols for companies. Simpson was a spokesman for Michelin and Hertz Rent a Car, and Bryant was a symbol of Adidas and Sprite. After crime spread into each of their lives and was associated with their likeness, both were dropped immediately from their sponsors. Neither were found guilty but they were nevertheless dropped. The same happened with Michael Jackson. In the early 1990's, he was the epitome of success in the "product spokesperson" world. He had contracts with Pepsi and other products, but when word of his child molestation case arose, they wanted nothing to do with him. This is one of the biggest entertainers in history, and once his appearance is compromised he is no longer a good representative.

Advertising is not always used in the best context. Religious symbols or ancient heritages are often used to promote a business or entity that is not exactly on the same level. Sports are also an example of this. Many professional teams have taken scrutiny after the names of their teams. The Washington Redskins, Cleveland Indians, and Florida State Seminoles are a few teams that have used Indian names as symbols for their clubs. This has been the basis for many arguments from Indian tribes that want their names taken off of the teams. One tribe actually protested by naming their tribal basket ball team the Whities.

Indian design is also used as a symbol for the Mohegan Sun and Foxwoods Casinos. First off, Indian reservations were used to get around laws prohibiting gambling, but afterwards the entire casino premise was decorated as an Indian theme. This caused some uproar from nationwide Indian tribes, and they argued that the reservations were just a front for New York businessmen to build a casino. It doesn't sound like a symbol, but it truly is.

The most powerful symbol in society is the human stature. If someone credible vouches for a product, then people believe that it must be good. The public will follow a popular athlete or celebrity wherever they can, and will listen to any product they advertise. The most popular shoes on the market are the ones that have celebrity names on them. The trendy clothing that people wear are determined by what celebrities show on the red carpet. Society follows celebrity. Media moguls know this, and extort it as much as possible. Symbols are ways to relate objects to one another without having to use a long paragraph. People see something that they adapt with, and they immediately conclude that anything it represents must be positive. Religions all have symbols for the faith, and sports teams all have symbols for their organizations. The overall emphasis is to have a way of constantly being reminded of something, without having to be told.