When Nike debuted former San Francisco 49er’s quarterback Colin Kaepernick as the face of this season’s Just Do It campaign, they knew they were taking a stand.
Then the iconic brand decided to go all in on their decision by purchasing ad time during the season opener between the Philadelphia Eagles and Atlanta Falcons.
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https://twitter.com/Kaepernick7/status/1037387722107830272
The TV spot focuses the controversy facing the NFL after professional football players took a knee during the National Anthem to protest racial inequality.
The ad is apart of Nike’s latest iteration of the Just Do It campaign known as the “Dream Crazy” marketing campaign. The brand also plans to air the campaign during the U.S. Open tennis tournament, as well as during Major League Baseball and college football games.
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Gino Fisanotti, Nike’s vice president of brand for North America told ESPN.com’s Darren Rovell, “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. We wanted to energize its meaning and introduce ‘Just Do It’ to a new generation of athletes.”
Believe in something, even if it means sacrificing everything. #JustDoIt pic.twitter.com/SRWkMIDdaO
— Colin Kaepernick (@Kaepernick7) September 3, 2018
Reactions to the decision have been polarizing to say that least. Critics of the ad set fire to the brand’s clothing, a response that’s caused Nike stock to dip slightly, even though it’s up nearly 28% overall.
That said, do you think this checkmate will put the haters at bay or is this just an attempt to join a bandwagon Nike believes represents their brand? Leave your opinion in the comments!
