Sept. 6 marked the start of the NFL season, but Nike stole the show that night with an advertisement that stood up for what is right and will be remembered for decades.
It was there that Nike debuted their 30thanniversary ad campaign, with none other than former NFL quarterback turned human rights activist Colin Kaepernick at the forefront.
It started as a simple black-and-white photograph of Kaepernick’s face, with the text Believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing everything.At the bottom was the Nike swoosh paired with its famous slogan Just Do It.
Thursday night’s broadcast of the game between the Atlanta Falcons and Philadelphia Eagles featured a full-length commercial voiced by Kaepernick. A commercial so well-produced it could send chills down your spine, or cause your blood to boil.
Immediately there was an uproar in reaction to the ad. People burnt shoes and posted videos of it on social media. Entire institutions cut ties with the brand. Police forces refuse to wear Nike products anymore.
To some, it seemed asinine – Nike, a corporation so deeply rooted in American culture, was tearing at the very fabric of America with this advertisement.
Others applauded the move – Nike was taking a stand for someone they believe in. Kaepernick’s face was reposted millions of times across social media platforms. Included was support from hundreds of professional athletes, reposting to thousands of their own followers.
It was inevitable some of the production genius put on display would be overlooked. In two minutes and 20 seconds, Nike told the stories of Serena Williams, LeBron James and other long-time endorsements.
They also told the stories of people like Shaquem Griffin, the first NFL player with only one hand and Alphonso Davies, a refugee, who is now a fixture on the Canadian men’s national soccer team at age 17.
There were athletes of all nationalities. Men and women. Americans and Europeans. Skateboarders, surfers, amputees, paraplegics and everything in between.
Across the board, the message was the same. These people believed in something crazy. They were told all along their dreams were outlandish. They didn’t listen.
Nike knew this ad campaign would create a massive uproar. As a corporation, they had to decide one of two things to go ahead with the campaign:
- They know how little anti-Kaepernick people matter to their business and they were fine with losing sales from those people.
- They don’t care how much those people matter to their business and they were fine with losing sales from those people.
In either case, Nike did something that can be applauded by all and that is standing up for something they believe in. They did so in a non-violent manner, just like Kaepernick, however their sacrifice of the loyalty of thousands of customers is now paying dividends.
Stock prices initially dipped, which can be expected for something so controversial – but now, just over a week later, they have risen to an all-time high on the New York Stock Exchange. According to Edison Trends, Nike’s online sales grew by 31 per cent in the week following the debut of the ad campaign.
For every hatred-fueled social media video of people burning shoes, rant on a Facebook status, or water cooler conversation at work over the past 15 days, Nike is further accomplishing its goal – create a generationally successful advertising campaign.
In this type of marketing, the message that is attached to the brand name comes second. What matters is every time the swoosh is pictured, or their name is written or spoken, is another opportunity for Nike’s name to come to the front of our minds. Not Adidas. Not Under Armour. Not Puma. Nike.
Picking sides in something as controversial as this is certainly unconventional – most marketing experts would have told Nike to stay far away from a topic like this.
However, Nike’s actions echo each and every human being they featured in their campaign – they believed in something.
It certainly paid off.