The controversy
Anniversary ad campaign adds fuel to NFL controversy
surrounding Nike’s new Colin Kaepernick ad delivers more than $43 million worth of media exposure to the sports apparel company, the vast majority of it neutral to positive.
The controversy surrounding Nike’s new Colin Kaepernick ad can’t be a surprise to the sportswear company. And in spite of the backlash, it’s probably pretty good for the brand.
In less than 24 hours since Kaepernick first revealed the spot on Twitter, Nike received more than $43 million worth of media exposure, the vast majority of it neutral to positive, according to Apex Marketing Group. That far outweighs the risk of alienating some customers, said Bob Dorfman, a sports marketing executive at Baker Street Advertising.
The campaign is the first step in Nike’s new partnership with Kaepernick, an extension of a deal he’s had with the company since he entered the NFL in 2011. The ad features his face along with the slogan “Believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing everything.” Kaepernick hasn’t been on a roster since 2016, after he started kneeling for the national anthem to protest racism and police brutality in the U.S.
The ad, part of Nike’s 30th anniversary “Just Do it” campaign, has outraged many. The image immediately drew the ire of those who view Kaepernick — and others who joined him in protest — as selfish millionaires who disrespect America. Some posted videos of themselves burning Nike shoes and apparel or cutting the swoosh logo off their clothing.
Most big corporations steer clear of politics, and marketing experts disagreed Tuesday over whether the Kaepernick campaign is good business.
Neil Saunders, managing director of the data and analytics firm GlobalData, called the Kaepernick strategy “commercially imprudent.”
“Nike’s campaign will generate both attention and discussion which is, arguably, one of its central aims,” he said. “However, it is also a risky strategy in that it addresses, and appears to take sides on, a highly politicized issue. This means it could ultimately alienate and lose customers, which is not the purpose of a marketing campaign.”
But some noted approvingly that it made a big splash and set Beaverton, Ore.-based Nike apart. And they said it could solidify Nike’s bond with athletes,an important consideration for a company that relies heavily on sports stars to endorse its products.
Brian Gordon, CEO of Engine Shop, a sports and entertainment marketing agency, said the ad is provocative but “authentic to who they are and the communities they represent and speak to.”
“Even in the face of potential backlash, they support their athlete partners, and that’s an incredibly powerful statement to the athlete community,” Gordon said.
Other athletes in the campaign include tennis star Serena Williams, New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. and Shaquem Griffin, a linebacker whose left hand was amputated when he was 4. But the Kaepernick ad struck a nerve, timed just before the NFL season kicks off Thursday.
Those praising the ad include former CIA Director John Brennan, former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, and fellow Nike endorser Serena Williams. One sports gambling site published betting lines for Nike’s stock price at the end of the month.
“Nike cares most about the category influencers and tastemakers — nearly all of whom will embrace their decision,” said Howe Burch, former head of U.S. marketing for Reebok. “They know they will lose some customers short-term but not the kind of customers that really drive their business.”
Supporting athletes has long been a part of Nike’s marketing, dating to the 1970s and runner Steve Prefontaine, the company’s first athlete endorser. Last month, when the French Open banned an outfit worn by Serena Williams, the company tweeted, “You can take the superhero out of her costume, but you can never take away her superpowers.”
As part of the new campaign, the company plans to release a Kaepernick-inspired shoe and T-shirt and will donate money to the quarterback’s “Know Your Rights” educational campaign, according to the New York Times.