Sarah DeWolfe | Co Editor-in-Chief
If you aren’t already familiar with the name Colin Kaepernick, Nike just made sure you’ll never forget it. Their recent campaign ad has caused an increasing amount of controversy as it’s centered around the already outspoken former NFL quarterback and his national anthem protests while a member of the San Francisco 49ers.
Nike released the ad on September 4, 2018 as part of its 30th Anniversary edition of the “Just Do It” slogan. The ad (pictured below) uses a black and white close up of Kaepernick and states, “Believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing everything.” It is undoubtedly referring to the loss of his NFL career-as it is rumored that he has been quietly blacklisted from the league-due to his public protests on the field.
Almost immediately social media was buzzing with posts both for and against the advertisement and even against Nike itself. The hashtag “#BoycottNike” was trending on twitter as angry customers voiced their disappointment in the company’s support of Kaepernick, with many even sharing videos of their previously beloved Nike sneakers up in flames.
President Donald Trump unsurprisingly took to twitter himself following its release, writing “Just like the NFL, whose ratings have gone WAY DOWN, Nike is getting absolutely killed with anger and boycotts. I wonder if they had any idea that it would be this way? As far as the NFL is concerned, I just find it hard to watch, and always will, until they stand for the FLAG!” He has since tweeted critically about the NFL’s ratings and player protests a number of times.
On the other hand, many have praised Kaepernick for sticking to his beliefs and using his platform to highlight the continuation of racial inequality and discrimination in our country, specifically
in recent incidents with law enforcement. He has received much praise on social media from fellow athletes like LeBron James and Serena Williams, who are both included in the celebratory campaign.
Kaepernick has become a polarizing character at the center of a nationwide debate since he first sat for the National Anthem in a 2016 preseason game. In a post-game interview addressing the protest, he explained, “I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color. To me this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way.” He intended to bring light to the injustices facing African Americans in the U.S. regarding police brutality, but his protests have been received differently. People have called him out for disrespecting the flag and the things that it stands for; freedom, members of the military, and the ultimate sacrifice many have paid.
He then opted to kneel instead of sit during the next pre-game anthem to show more respect towards past and present military personnel while still protesting. Many other NFL teams (including the Patriots) and athletes in other professional sports have joined Kap in kneeling or remaining in the locker room during the anthem.
Although the protests are likely the reason the NFL saw a decline in viewership in the past two seasons with the lowest Super Bowl ratings since 2009, they haven’t affected Nike as much as everyone thinks. Since releasing the ad, Nike’s online sales have increased 31% over the Labor Day weekend compared to the past year. Nike is practically all anyone on social media is talking about. Make no mistake, Nike knew what they were doing.
This doesn’t change the fact that seemingly half the country has sworn off Nike for good. Despite the company using its influence to bring about social change, people aren’t ready for politics to assimilate into the sporting world. This was also apparent when Fox News host Laura Ingraham told LeBron James to “shut up and dribble” after he publicly criticized President Trump.
Sports have historically served as a distraction from day to day life, blocking out the social issues and grievances of society. They’ve also acted as the great unifier, bringing together people of different backgrounds as they watch their favorite sports. But with the field becoming the new platform for social change, it seems as though the country is as divided as ever. Ready or not, we are about to see more companies like Nike and athletes like Colin Kaepernick bridge the gap between sports and politics.
