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This week, Nike made former NFL player, Colin Kaepernick, the face of a 30th anniversary “Just Do It” ad campaign. However, consumers against Kaepernick and the anthem protests haved posted videos destroying Nike products while the hashtag Boycott Nike has also been trending on Twitter.
Furthermore, the ad that features a familiar close-up of Kaepernick’s eyes with the words, “Believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing everything,” was dubbed “a terrible message” by President Donald Trump.
Amid the aftermath, some of the biggest sports names outside the NFL, such as Serena Williams and Lebron James, quickly sided with the apparel company.
Williams is also the focal point of Nike’s campaign ad which coincides with her U.S. Open victory and celebrates her journey both as a woman of color in a predominantly white sport and as a new mother. She shared an image from the campaign Monday night that shows her as a young girl, swinging a racket on her old stomping ground in Compton, CA., with the words “It’s only a crazy dream until you do it.” She then captioned the photo: “Especially proud to be a part of the Nike family today.”⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
The U.S. Open semifinalist spoke with the Washington Post just last week commending Kaepernick and Eric Reid, who have been unable to find employment on NFL teams since taking a knee in protest.
“I think every athlete, every human, and definitely every African American should be completely grateful and honored how Colin and Eric are doing so much more for the greater good,” Williams told reporters.
“They really use their platform in ways that [are] really unfathomable. I feel like they obviously have great respect from a lot of their peers, especially other athletes, people that really are looking for social change.”⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
James, who has blatantly gone back and forth with President Trump, reposted Nike’s image of Kaepernick on Instagram on Monday night, and expressed his support as he received an award for both his style and his philanthropy, from Harlem’s Fashion Row.
In his closing remarks, he said he stood “for anybody who believes in change,” adding, “I stand with Nike, all day, every day.”⠀⠀⠀⠀
Choosing Kaepernick for the campaign, means the athletic brand will now take the proper steps toward political activism and justice. Yet, other Nike athletes like James and Williams have been increasingly voice opinions on these matters for quite some time now—ranging from former Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling’s racist comments to the same police shootings that prompted the anthem protests started by Kaepernick.
Is it safe to say that the culture officially has a Fortune 500 company in our corner? Comment below!
