Nike Made Colin Kaepernick Star of Its ‘Just Do It’ Campaign and Set the Internet Ablaze

Irate protestors are burning anything with a Swoosh on it.

We don’t know if it’s a good move or a bad move yet, but Nike revealed a major ad campaign starring Colin Kaepernick Monday, and a firestorm ensued. Literally.

The ad itself is simple: A closeup of the out-of-work QB’s face and the words, “Believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing everything.” 

Based on reactions from the sports world, football fans, and many more conservative Nike consumers, Nike—like Kaepernick—is sacrificing something: the athletic wear giant’s shares.

Regardless of anyone’s opinion of the move, it’s definitely bold, given that the company surely knew it would really piss some people off.

Kaepernick began the protests in 2016 while he was quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers. He explained that in kneeling he wasn’t protesting the anthem itself, he was attempting bring attention to police treatment of young black men—using his prominence to highlight the cause. 

Colin Kaepernick

Still, many conservatives focused on the disrespect to the ceremony and the flag. The NFL itself essentially blackballed Kaepernick—the controversy was too big a risk to most teams’ bottom line. 

The intensity of that controversy was obvious in protests against Nike that began popping up all over social media. One of the most visible was in a tweet from country music star John Rich.

Rich’s sound man was far from the only one to make such a statement.

https://twitter.com/conrad_kolten/status/1036823103945560064

Nike has yet to make any further statement regarding the campaign, though just publicizing the first ad is enough of a statement in the first place; they knew what they were doing.

Given that celebrities frequently earn several million dollars for campaigns like this, Kaepernick isn’t hurting, no matter what—and a number of those who oppose him have just destroyed their $100 shoes.

h/t Sports Illustrated

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