Nike shares dip as Kaepernick ad spurs boycott
Nike shares fell 3% on Tuesday as calls for a boycott of the sportswear giant gained traction after it chose Colin Kaepernick as a face for adverts marking the 30th anniversary of its “Just Do It” slogan.
Kaepernick, the first National Football League (NFL) player to kneel during the US anthem as a protest against racism, posted a close-up picture of himself on social media on Monday featuring the Nike logo and “Just do it” along with the quote, “Believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing everything.”
The hashtag #NikeBoycott was among the top trending topics on Twitter on Tuesday, with users posting 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. 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?”, Twitter user @sclancy79 said in a post retweeted 16,000 times.
Others took positively to Nike taking a stand on social issues — “dear @Nike I appreciate you for standing with @Kaepernick7”, vlogger Casey Neistat tweeted.
US President Donald Trump has said he would love to see NFL owners fire football players who disrespect the US flag.
Nike, which called Kaepernick “one of the inspirational athletes of his generation”, did not respond to requests for comment on Tuesday.