There Is No Finish Line
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By Debra Vey Voda-Hamilton, Esq. Mediator
www.hamiltonlawandmediation.com
In 1970, Nike had a new athletic shoe they planned to bring to market. At the last minute the product release was delayed. This meant their whole ad campaign for that month around this shoe was also delayed. What could they do to fill the pre-bought ad space at the last minute? According to Terri Langhans, a Certified Speaking Professional who wrote a blog post about this, Nike asked their ad company to come up with something that would “just pat runners on the back.” What the agency came up with completely shifted the company’s focus in advertising into the new millennium.
The ad started with the bold statement to all runners, “There is no finish line.” The copy then described what it takes to be a runner. It speaks about the endorphin high that comes from running and the fact you aren’t there to beat the competition but to beat yourself. It applauds the achievement of things their clients never imagined doing and celebrates the thrill of the run. The last line of the ad copy sums up the focus in one bold statement, “Beating the competition is relatively easy. But beating yourself is a never ending commitment.”
You may wonder what this has to do with dog shows, dog show competitors and the dogs we love and show. Plenty! In a flash, as I read this copy, I saw dog people doing their definition of a long run. The hours of endless bathing, stripping, grooming, training, socializing and, finally, showing our dogs. The endorphin high a runner gets when he/she breaks through the pain to the success is identical to the endorphin high we get as we prepare our dogs for the ring and show them. We have seen it in ourselves and others. One win keeps us coming back day after day, weekend after weekend, season in and season out. The most obvious example of this ‘runners high’ can be seen in a novice owner/handler who takes their own dog into the ring and wins a ribbon. They are hooked for life.
I joke that my dogs are my knitting. Caring for them is a labor of love which I do with every free moment I have to spare. They are my “synthetic run.” Are they yours as well? Whether you are in conformation or performance venues, the good endorphins pump through you from the time you let them out in the morning until you all go to sleep at night. My “run”starts while I’m watching them move through my yard, gaiting beautifully. It continues as I clean their coats or feed them appropriately. Each piece of the puzzle is a necessary part of the preparation for the RUN.
It is not easy getting dogs ready to show. We always strive to present our dogs better than we did last time. Truly, beating ourself at our own game. We strive to have healthier coats, more fit dogs and a less nervous handler. Some of us come by the art of showing naturally, others have to get ourselves psyched to perform in the ring each and every day. One thing for sure, we are always trying to do better than we did yesterday, personally as well as with this beloved animal we are showing.
This is why I found the discussion of the 1970 Nike ad so profound. For me and for you, I hope, it will kick off 2015 with a refocus on why we do it. The post, which you can find at Terri Langhans site BlahBlahBlah, (http://blahblahblah.us/blahg ?utm_source=Nike+No+Finish+Line&utm_campaign=Nike+Finish+Line+November+2014&utm_medium=email) was about marketing “the idea of Nike” by accident way back when, which changed the face and focus of Nike advertising.
For those of us in the dog show world, it is truly the idea of the perfect dog that we are selling to the judges and spectators. (Thankfully, there is no perfect dog or we would all stay home and watch Housewives of NY, NJ, BH, etc.) Our passion is to show the best dog we can each and every time. That is our rallying cry. If we get in the zone with our dogs, we can show them in a way that pushes their buttons and thrills everyone observing them. They can’t lose!! When we win, we experience the same runners high our running compatriots feel as they surmount a particularly difficult hurdle.
The ability to reach this level of commitment requires an elevated sense of consciousness. Once you find that place “there is no finish line.” You are addicted to the process, from start to finish. The end result is simply a marker to beat next time you are in the ring.
In 2015, I hope there is no finish line for any of you. Continue to commit yourselves 150% to the dogs and this sport we all love. It is our ‘run of choice’ after all. Enjoy the powerful feeling you get when you are one with the dog in the ring.
Short URL: http://caninechronicle.com/?p=66701
Posted by ralbee
on Jan 1 2015. Filed under Current Articles, Editorial, Featured.
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