NEW YORK: A week after quarterback Colin Kaepernick scored a legal victory in his grievance against the NFL and its 32 teams when an arbitrator allowed his case to continue to trial, he scored another one after US sportswear giant Nike announced it was making him one of the key faces for a campaign marking the 30th anniversary of its celebrated “Just Do It” slogan.
It is worth noting that Kaepernick already has a deal with Nike running since 2011, which was set to expire, but was renegotiated into a multiyear deal to make him one of the faces of the campaign, AP reports.
According to the newswire, Nike will feature Kaepernick on several platforms, including billboards, television commercials and online ads. Nike will also create an apparel line for Kaepernick, including a signature shoe, and contribute to his Know Your Rights charity. The deal puts Kaepernick in the top bracket of NFL players with Nike.
The ad revived a raging debate in the United States that started in 2016 when Kaepernick, then with the San Francisco 49ers, began kneeling to protest multiple police shootings of unarmed black men, Reuters reports.
After his protests, Kaepernick could not find a job for the 2017 season and sued the NFL, accusing owners of colluding to blackball him. He is still without a team.
The ad refers to Kaepernick’s loss of NFL income with the quote: “Believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing everything.”
As expected there was a severe backlash to the development not just from the conservative right wing of American society, but also from US President Donald Trump.
Trump called Nike’s campaign “a terrible decision” in an interview with the Daily Caller published on Tuesday.
The league itself weighed in Tuesday afternoon with an executive saying the social issues Kaepernick has raised are valid.
“We embrace the role and responsibility of everyone involved with this game to promote meaningful, positive change in our communities,” said Jocelyn Moore, the NFL’s executive vice president of communications and public affairs. “The social justice issues that Colin and other professional athletes have raised deserve our attention and action.”
Moore’s statement was paired with a detailed breakdown of things players and league executives have done together to learn about and address social issues, including community meetings, lobbying and financially supporting local programs.
In terms of the impact the ad could have on brand Nike, most experts were of the view that in the final analysis, it would benefit the world’s largest sports apparel company.
“This is right on the money for Nike. They stand for this irreverent, rebellious attitude. In this case, it’s reinforcing the brand,” Erich Joachimsthaler, CEO of strategy consulting firm Vivaldi told Reuters.
“Nike more than anyone else really knows who their customer is,” Christopher Svezia, a footwear and apparel analyst at Wedbush Securities Inc., told the newswire, describing them as largely 14- to 22-year-old males.
Matt Powell, a senior adviser with market research firm NPD Group, predicted the boycott would fizzle. “Old angry white guys are not a core demographic for Nike,” he said.
Barry Lowenthal, CEO of The Media Kitchen, praised the campaign and said Nike has long proven successful in using celebrity endorsements to promote its brand, a precursor to what is known as influencer marking in the social media age.
“These kind of endorsement deals were the first version of influencer marketing. Of course they know it works. It’s classic product placement,” Lowenthal said.
Serena Williams, who is also a part of the campaign, reiterated her admiration for Kaepernick on Tuesday, and praised Nike for featuring him in the campaign.
“Especially proud to be a part of the Nike family today. #justdoit,” the 23-time Grand Slam champion tweeted before she headed out to book a US Open semi-final berth with a 6-4, 6-3 victory over Karolina Pliskova.
Williams told reporters after her victory over Pliskova that she thought the company made a “powerful” statement.
“He’s done a lot for the African American community, and it’s cost him a lot,” Williams said. “It’s sad. But he continues to do the best that he can.
“Having a huge company back him, you know, could be a controversial (decision) for this company, but they’re not afraid,” added Williams, who has had an endorsement deal with Nike since 2003.
“I feel like that was a really powerful statement to a lot of other companies.”
As to whether athletes have a role to play in political and social discourse, Williams said she thought it was up to individuals.
“It’s their choice,” she said. “I think that’s one great thing God gave us, is the freedom of choice.
“My choice is to choose to just be the best — try to be. I’m not always perfect. Actually I’m never perfect. (I) just try to be the best that I can be, maybe I can just influence one person and that makes a change already.”
Nike also provides all NFL teams with game day uniforms and sideline apparel, a partnership that was extended in March to run through 2028.
