Nike hit as Kaepernick ad spurs boycott

SHARES of Nike Inc fell 3 percent yesterday as calls for a boycott of the sportswear giant gained traction on social media following its choice of Colin Kaepernick as a face for the 30th anniversary of its “Just Do It” slogan.

Former San Francisco quarterback Kaepernick, the first NFL player to kneel during the national anthem as a protest against racism, posted a blackand-white close-up of himself on Instagram on Monday featuring the Nike logo and “Just do it” slogan, along with the quote: “Believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing everything.”

Over 30,000 people were tweeting with the hashtag #NikeBoycott yesterday morning, making it among the top trending topics on Twitter. Some posted images of themselves burning and ripping their Nike shoes and apparel.

“First the @NFL forces me to choose between my favorite sport and my country. I chose country,” Twitter user @ sclancy79 said in a post retweeted 16,000 times. “Then @Nike forces me to choose between my favorite shoes and my country. Since when did the American Flag and the National Anthem become offensive?”

Still, there were a large number of other users who took positively to Nike taking a stand on social issues.

Athletes including LeBron James and Kevin Durant expressed support, posting images of Kaepernick’s ad on their Instagram profiles.

Even former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad weighed in, tweeting: “The #NFL season will start this week, unfortunately once again @Kaepernick7 is not on a NFL roster. Even though he is one of the best Quarterbacks in the league.”

Retail industry analysts were divided on whether the heat around the campaign would be a commercial positive for Nike or ultimately alienate and lose customers.