Nike Advertisement: Backlash or Progression?
By EMILY PENSABENE
On September 3rd of 2018, it was announced that Colin Kaepernick had a negotiated new deal with Nike. Signing this deal made Kaepernick the new face of the “Just Do It” Nike campaign.
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After he signed the deal, there was a great deal of backlash because Americans already had mixed opinions on him in relation to kneeling during the National Anthem before his NFL games.
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“Hundreds of videos of fans burning their Nike clothing and tweets directed at the company were released within hours of the announcement. Many chastised Nike for supporting someone who they believe does not represent their values and beliefs when it comes to the anthem, Matt Durr of MLive reports.
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People on social media have threatened to return their Nike items and people have gone so far as to burn their Nike items in response to the controversial choice to make Kaepernick the new face.
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Donald Trump even tweeted that Nike was getting “killed” because of their new deal with Kaepernick since there was so much backlash.
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Despite numerous people saying they are going to boycott Nike, Nike has “sold out 61 percent more merchandise since the controversial ad campaign featuring former NFL player Colin Kaepernick appeared, Reuters explains.
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Even more research from Reuters shows that from September 3, 2018 to September 13, 2018, Nike sold more items in those 10 days than the 10 days prior to the ad surfacing. To add onto that, Reuters says, Colin Kaepernick women jerseys made by Nike sold out after the ad, so Nike is definitely still standing strong.
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It has become clear that even though many people have threatened to boycott Nike, it has only really affected Nike in a good way because their sales are skyrocketing compared to their sales before Colin Kaepernick’s ad with Nike.
Works Cited:
Durr, Matt. “Nike Signs Colin Kaepernick to Endorsement Deal, Backlash Begins.” MLive, 4 Sept. 2018, www.mlive.com/news/us-world/index.ssf/2018/09/nike_signs_colin_kaepernick_to.html.
Reuters. “Nike's Kaepernick Ad Spurs Spike in Sold-out Items.” Reuters, Thomson Reuters, 20 Sept. 2018, www.reuters.com/article/us-nike-kaepernick/nikes-kaepernick-ad-spurs-spike-in-sold-out-items-idUSKCN1LZ2G4.