Have you ever looked around campus and noticed that all of the girls seem to be wearing the exact same thing? Not just the same outfit, but the same brand? Now, I’m not talking about all of the Lilly Pulitzer dresses in your closet (come on, we all know you have at least one). I’m talking about the real clothes you wear to class – the yoga pants, the leggings, the Norts (Nike shorts, for those of you that don’t know), the t-shirts, etc. Everyone has that one favorite pair of leggings, the same ones that have been with you through that God-awful 8 a.m. exam (the pair you threw on when you slept through your alarm and thought you were going to be late) and that night out where you met the hot guy (you were “so glad” you wore that outfit). These are the clothes we rely on; jeans are overrated anyway. The catch? Athletic brands (for UK, it’s Nike) recognize this and markets directly to us.
College campuses are target markets for athletic clothing brands. And, the University of Kentucky is no different. Nike sponsors the Wildcats; you can see that trademark “swoosh” all over campus. Nike provides all University of Kentucky athletes with jackets, shoes, you name it. And, it’s not just the male athletes. Take a look at any female athlete at UK, and you’ll notice they’re wearing the same stuff, right down to the Nike-brand socks. The coaches are also supplied with lots of shoes, dress shirts, ties, etc. These campus celebrities are essentially a walking advertisement for Nike.
So, how does this affect us? Think about it, ladies: it’s the perfect marketing ploy! If they get the sports teams to wear their brand, the rest of the campus will follow. Once Nike became a sponsor, bam! It’s cool to wear Nike-brand clothing to class, even if you’re not an athlete. These sponsorships tell us what kinds of clothes are “popular” and “stylish” for class, especially at a university that is nationally recognized for their athletic program. In girl talk, all those Norts and leggings stuffed in your dresser drawers at home? They’ll never go out of style. Cha-ching!
I bet most of us don’t even think about what pair of leggings or Norts we throw on in that 10-minute rush to class after pushing the snooze button five or six times (let’s be real, we all judge the people that come to class dressed in anything else). But, is it such a bad thing that our closets are mostly Nike, and not Adidas or Reebok? I don’t think so. Besides, by sporting our school’s sponsor, we show our school spirit. Not to mention, we can be comfortable in our butt-hugging, Nike-brand yoga pants, knowing we look good, while fangirling over the Harrison twins in the stands at Rupp. It’s a win-win for everyone!