Just Do It
Recently Nike released a commercial that has sparked a lot of hostility amongst the nation. Why? Simply because Colin Kaepernick was the face of this ad.
As we know, Colin Kaepernick is a former NFL player, kicked out because of his peaceful protest against injustices, during the national anthem. He humbly took a knee to respectfully take a stand in what he believes in.
Many Americans did not honor his protest while many others did and decided to join him. Although the NFL has now banned the action, some people still have a bit of fire in their tanks about what Kaepernick does and who chooses to support him.
Nike is experiencing quite a bit of backlash for ending their inspirational ad with a quote that says, “Believe in something. Even if that means sacrificing everything.”
Customers have been burning the Nike shoes and cutting the logo out because of their rage of Nike’s decision to collaborate with Colin. Past supporters are uploading live footage of them destroying all of the Nike’s they own. The other half are preparing to buy more.
Everyone has their opinion but most millennials are in complete support of Nike’s move. Since the launch of the ad, Nike has lost customers but they’ve also gained so many more. There’s many videos going around about purchasing more Nike’s, wearing Nike’s, and even defending Nike while declaring there loyalty and advocacy.
Although this was a risky move for Nike, I believe the millennials are completely behind them moving forward. Nike use to be just a shoe brand but with moves like this, they for sure are creating a die-hard community.
Fashion has become an extreme source of expression and we live in a time that brands matter more than they ever have. I think it’s interesting to see a brand take such a bold move, but was it as genuine as it seems? Did Nike do this for the numbers that it knew it would produce? Do they truly stand behind Kaepernick and his beliefs?
I believe that’s what should matter. Business is business so whatever it takes to make more money is essentially the thing to do. Right? It’s been said that Nike does lots of business with the NFL, especially because their products are specifically made for athletes.
It makes me think. While so many people are ready to go out and buy more shoes, what is that doing for our communities. What about the original stand that Kaepernick made. How can we fix the real issues at hand.
Buying a bunch of Nike’s sound nice, but is that making a change? Does Nike have some sort of campaign going on that’s going to impact our inner cities? Do we really understand the meaning of sacrificing when it comes to our beliefs?
Supporting someone who supports our own isn’t the same as supporting our own. But the question is, how much does that matter if at all?
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