Kaepernick wins with ad campaign
Nike collaboration might not change much, but it starts a needed conversation
By now you’ve seen it. Nike hit its mark as it made Colin Kaepernick the face of the 30th anniversary celebration of the “Just Do It” campaign. The ad is simple: Black and white, tightly cropped image of Kaepernick’s bearded face and Afro. The white type across his face: “Believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing everything.”
Bold. Powerful. Polarizing. Exactly what Nike wants.
Whether you love the ad (as do many of Kaepernick’s peers and supporters, who shared the image across their social media platforms) or hate it (as do the same pre-existing outraged Kaepernick critics, many of whom now say they’re burning their Nike gear), the apparel company and former 49ers quarterback both win.
Ideally, the ad would further fuel the conversation about the need to fix our country’s wretched problem of racial and social injustice. Ideally, people will have seen the image and recall why Kaepernick first took a knee during the playing of the national anthem before a preseason game two years ago. Ideally, there’s yet another discussion about the need to ensure the end of police brutality and the need for criminal justice reform, particularly as it pertains to black men.
That, according to Kaepernick, was the goal all along: to start the conversation on how to fix these very real problems.
It will be interesting to see what good can be achieved when a large corporation decides to support people trying to make a positive change. It could take time to measure that impact.
But in the present, little has radically changed.
Some of those backing Kaepernick noted the boldness of Nike, the official outfitter of the NFL, for championing one of the league’s biggest enemies. Meanwhile, some in the anti-Kaepernick camp have taken offense to the “sacrificing everything” notion being applied to the still-unsigned quarterback.
For now, Nike and Kaepernick both win because we’re talking about them. But beyond that?
Nike will continue to make money, and lots of it. The NFL and its fan base will remain divided. And Kaepernick, although he now has some new income, will remain on the outside rather than on an NFL roster.
A portion of Americans started wringing their hands, wondering why on earth Nike would alienate customers by promoting Kaepernick.
Let’s get something straight: Nike doesn’t care about that lost patronage in the grand scheme of things. Those types weren’t religiously rocking the swoosh anyway. Burn those old sneakers, as you say you will. Nike is after a younger, more loyal and socially conscious customer who would gladly pay for the new Kaepernick merchandise that Yahoo Sports reported the company plans to roll out. And to a degree, Nike also wants to join the conversation as well. But this is primarily a business move, and that’s fine. Nike is a business.
As Eagles defensive end Chris Long astutely tweeted Tuesday morning, “Nike is a huge business. They’ve calculated risk. They may even have reason to believe this will make the brand more popular which means the guy burning his white air monarchs is in the mi- nority. Bitter pill to swallow, I’m sure. Good luck (with) the protest. Bet they anticipated it.”
And yes, Nike has been scrutinized for its labor practices, including the minimum wage and working conditions at contract factories in Vietnam, China and Indonesia. But, as Long also said, “I’m glad they’re addressing the elephant in the room, though.”
The question of Kaepernick’s playing future still looms. Although the ad shows his popularity remains strong, don’t expect the campaign to translate into a career revival.
NFL owners weren’t swayed by the fact that Kaepernick’s 49ers jersey has remained among the top 50 sellers the past two years. Many weren’t swayed by their own pressing quarterback needs, either. They haven’t forgotten that Kaepernick remains engaged in a legal battle with them, accusing them of colluding against him to keep him out of the league. And the ad won’t cause them to forget that Kaepernick celebrated a preliminary triumph over the league when a judge recently denied the NFL’s request to dismiss his grievance.
The owners are dug in on this, even though they will not admit it. In all likelihood, Kaepernick’s not coming back.
So while the ad might have surprised some within the league, the overwhelming response among the ownership ranks was likely nothing more than an eye-roll.
But that’s OK. Why? Because even though Kaepernick aims to win this collusion case, and although he once badly wanted back into the league, it’s believed that he knew filing the grievance likely sealed his fate as a player. At this point, some players familiar with Kaepernick’s situation aren’t even convinced that he even wants to play anymore.
But that doesn’t mean Kaepernick isn’t winning. At this point, he doesn’t need football.
By standing firm and refusing to sway from the methods that he deemed most effective, Kaepernick did sacrifice his career in this possession. But his legacy is now cemented.
And that’s why whether in an NFL uniform or not, Kaepernick says, “Just do it.”