Nike ad: just did it

Students respond to Nike’s new “Just Do It” ad campaign featuring Colin Kaepernick

Amy Inkrott/News Editor/The USD Vista

In August of 2016, fans of the National Football League (NFL) watched as the San Francisco 49ers quarterback, Colin Kaepernick, opted to kneel for the singing of the U.S. National Anthem. The famous athlete’s choice to kneel served as a protest against the recent instances of police brutality and racial injustice. Two years later, Kaepernick’s actions are still widely discussed and have sparked a debate about the country’s commitment to free speech. 

Recently, athletic apparel brand, Nike, released an ad campaign featuring the quarterback and the slogan, “Believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing everything.” Since its release on Sept. 3, the advertisement has elicited a variety of responses from intense support to fiery rejections. 

The most hostile reactions to the ad campaign are rooted in Kaepernick’s choice to kneel for the Star Spangled Banner. The quarterback’s actions have been seen as disrespectful to the country itself, as well as to those who fought to ensure its safety. 

First-year student Blake Siniscalchi disagreed with Kaepernick’s method of protest. 

“I feel he is separating people rather than bringing everyone together,” Siniscalchi said. 

However, despite the controversy, Kaepernick’s protests continued and other athletes within the NFL joined in on the demonstrations. In September of 2017, President Trump commented on the protests at a rally in Alabama, claiming the athletes should be fired for their actions during the anthem. Soon after the president’s involvement, the number of protests within the NFL exploded with nearly every game having some form of demonstration from the athletes. Bruce Maxwell, a catcher for Oakland A’s, spread the protests beyond the NFL. 

Angered football fans responded to the demonstrations by destroying their jerseys and boycotting NFL broadcasts. Throughout the 2017 season, the league reported a nine percent drop in television ratings. In May 2018, the NFL instituted a new policy requiring all players on the sidelines to stand for the national anthem, but also provides the athletes with the option to stay in the locker room. 

Kaepernick has since left the 49ers, and has not been signed by another team in the league. The former quarterback recently announced his intentions to sue the NFL, accusing the league of conspiring to blackball him.

However, many fans and team owners supported Kaepernick’s movement, as it brought further attention to an important issue. Some news sources have even reported that some members of the military were supportive of the quarterback’s actions, claiming that they fight so that Americans can exercise their right to free speech. 

First year Sebastian Simpson also stood by the quarterback’s actions. 

“To me, what he was doing was the most patriotic thing he could do,” Simpson said. “With him being in the NFL and having the platform that he did was important because there are minorities that still are being treated unfairly.”

Nike’s recent ad campaign celebrated the 30th anniversary of the company’s tagline, “Just Do It.” The commercial, narrated by Kaepernick, included clips from other famous athletes such as Odell Beckham Jr., Shaquem Griffin, Lacey Baker, and Serena Williams.

Although it made no mention of the previous protests, Nike’s collaboration with Kaepernick prompted a resurgence of his controversial past. People who were angered by his original protests might also have been angered by the new ad campaign. The “sacrificing everything” tagline proved to be unsettling to some consumers, seeing it as further disrespect to the country’s military. 

Many people took to Twitter to express their frustrations with the company. The hashtags #JustBurnIt and #BoycottNike quickly became trending topics. The social media site was flooded with images of people burning their shoes, or cutting the logos away from their Nike apparel. 

Neither Siniscalchi nor Simpson were willing to partake in this boycott. 

“I think it’s a good message and I stand by it,” Simpson said. “Kaepernick honestly did risk his career in order to take a stand. He’s a good quarterback, but no one wants to sign him on to their team.”

All of USD’s athletic teams use Nike gear. However, the program does not show any signs of abandoning the company’s apparel. 

Junior Kadee Sylla, captain of the USD Women’s Rowing team, is proud of USD’s continued association with Nike products. 

“Nike sponsors my school, my team, my gear, and it is important to me to know that they are also supporting my beliefs and my values,” Sylla said. 

Two universities have chosen to cut their ties with Nike. Both Truett McConnell University and the College of the Ozarks dropped the company’s apparel in response to the Kaepernick ad. 

Despite the initial dip in performance, the Kaepernick ad proved to be beneficial to the apparel company. After Labor Day weekend, Nike reported a 31 percent increase in online sales. As of Sept. 15, the company’s stock price reached an all-time-high, suggesting that most consumers are not deterred by the ad’s inclusion of the controversial former quarterback. 

Sophomore Alex Mileti is supportive of Nike’s new ad campaign.

“I am not happy with the police brutality in this country, especially against African Americans, Mileti said. “I think it is a peaceful protest that all Americans should be able to exhibit without backlash.” 

Mileti expressed that she was surprised by the success Nike had in response to the new campaign. However, she is hopeful for what it means for the country’s future. 

“I know I will still be buying their products,” Mileti said. “It makes me like their company as a whole better because they align with my views.” 

Despite Nike’s recent financial success, the American public remains divided over the Kaepernick controversy.