Nike has decided to feature one of the most polarizing figures in football in its “Just Do It” ad campaign, a risky move that could alienate a significant chunk of its customers. Former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick shared the new ad on Twitter Monday:
Believe in something, even if it means sacrificing everything. #JustDoIt pic.twitter.com/SRWkMIDdaO
— Colin Kaepernick (@Kaepernick7) September 3, 2018
That message may come back to haunt Nike. While it’s likely that many of the company’s customers approve of the ad, Nike risks losing many customers who don’t like the political message.
Some folks were so disgusted by the move that they reacted by destroying their Nike products and posting the videos on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/Breaking911/status/1036811907846615040
#Nike burn baby burn #IStandForTheAnthem #maga2020@Nike #AllLivesMatter pic.twitter.com/DluR1AgtsJ
— Freemen4liberty (@Liberty4Freemen) September 3, 2018
https://twitter.com/boudreau_dr/status/1036717126277636096
I can’t vouch for this one. Some video trickery may be involved:
In true American fashion I just DRONE STRIKED my Nike shoes! #MAGA pic.twitter.com/0S9C6lgAkE
— jordan (@JordanUhl) September 4, 2018
Our Soundman just cut the Nike swoosh off his socks. Former marine. Get ready @Nike multiply that by the millions. pic.twitter.com/h8kj6RXe7j
— John Rich (@johnrich) September 3, 2018
https://twitter.com/WeSupport45/status/1036781431610122241
Dear @Nike, I am burning all Nike stuff that I own. The man you decided to make the face of your #JustDoIt campaign wore socks depicting police as pigs.Yet, you celebrate him. It is the police who #justdoit 24 hours/day-7 days/week protecting lives while risking their own lives.
— Gary Kaltbaum (@GaryKaltbaum) September 3, 2018
Some other reactions on Twitter:
This is the dumbest move @nike has ever made in the history of its brand. pic.twitter.com/KshvmdGajT
— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) September 3, 2018
Congratulations to @adidas for a wonderful win in business today!
They are proof that sometimes all you have to do is sit back and let your competitors shoot themselves in the foot. #ThreeStripeLife @adidas @adidasus @adidasUK https://t.co/prwLCBEeNO
— Candace Owens (@RealCandaceO) September 3, 2018
So now I know I should wear @Nike shoes when I protest the national anthem – which I will never do so I wont be buying any of those things.
So… now that we settled that burning issue, can someone reccomend an ATHLETIC shoe for me? @Reebok? #RememberWhenNikeWasAboutSports?
— Larry O'Connor (@LarryOConnor) September 4, 2018
Congrats to Colin Kaepernick for becoming the face of Nike's new line of knee pads.
— neontaster (@neontaster) September 3, 2018
Hey @Kaepernick7 when will you speak out on @nike paying overseas workers less than $3 a day to make its shoes? Look forward to it given you value politics over all commerce and business interests. Open forum on @outkick for you as always to discuss. Thanks.
— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) September 3, 2018
https://twitter.com/GayPatriot/status/1036801770503200768
https://twitter.com/RobProvince/status/1036736172956037124
https://twitter.com/RyanGirdusky/status/1036744440965210112
https://twitter.com/kebejay/status/1036740962582589440
Sacrificed everything pic.twitter.com/upCpPMiEpk
— Oh THAT Guy (@NathanWurtzel) September 3, 2018
Not surprisingly, the rabidly anti-Trump former CIA director loves that Kaepernick is one of the new faces of Nike’s “Just Do It” campaign.
Colin Kaepernick drew our collective attention to the problem of continued racial injustice in America. He did so not to disrespect our flag but to give meaning to the words of the preamble of our Constitution—“in order to form a more perfect union.” Well done, Colin, well done. https://t.co/4ALyUxLjM5
— John O. Brennan (@JohnBrennan) September 4, 2018
Nike signed Kaepernick to an endorsement deal in 2011 and has kept him on its endorsement roster all this time.
Gino Fisanotti, Nike’s vice president of brand for North America, told ESPN, “We believe Colin is one of the most inspirational athletes of this generation, who has leveraged the power of sport to help move the world forward.”
Nike is also using Odell Beckham Jr., Shaquem Griffin, Lacey Baker, Serena Williams, and LeBron James in its “Just Do It” campaign.
“We wanted to energize its meaning and introduce ‘Just Do It’ to a new generation of athletes,” Fisanotti said.
Fisanotti said the new version of the campaign is meant to specifically speak to 15- to 17-year olds.
Kaepernick’s protests of racial injustice — which began in August 2016 with sitting and later kneeling during the national anthem — launched a movement across the NFL. No team signed him as a free agent in 2017.
The company appears to be betting that it will come out ahead despite withering criticism and boycotts from conservatives and possibly even the White House in the days to come. Perhaps, perhaps not. It will be interesting to see how Nike’s stock price does in the coming weeks.
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