Nike Swoosh Making a Real Splash for “Just Do It”

Nike brought in Colin Kaepernick to be one of the many faces for the new Nike campaign memorializing the 30th anniversary of the brand’s world-renowned “Just Do It” maxim.

The former NFL quarterback, who recently made substantial progress in his suit against NFL owners for allegedly colluding to keep him out of the league, shared a Nike retweet on social media Monday afternoon.

“Believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing everything.”

Nike signed Kaepernick in 2011 and never wavered in there decision as the media and the many who oppose his views, when Kaepernick began protesting racial injustice in August of 2016. No team signed him as a free agent in 2017 “unoffically” as a result of the protest but Nike had no issue keeping him on its endorsement roster over the years is, and even though he has not been utilized in years, that decision in and of itself is a big deal.

“We believe Colin is one of the most inspirational athletes of this generation, who has leveraged the power of sport to help move the world forward,” Gino Fisanotti, Nike’s vice president of brand for North America, told ESPN.“We wanted to energize its meaning and introduce ‘Just Do It’ to a new generation of athletes, the new version of the campaign is meant to specifically speak to 15- to 17-year olds” Fisanotti said.

Other athletes in the “Just Do It” campaign include Odell Beckham Jr., Shaquem Griffin, Lacey Baker, LeBron James and Serena Williams.

Williams had her own disrciminatory moment late August 2018, in which her Warrior Princess / Nike Branded Catsuit was banned by Giudicelli of the French Open.

Nike’s Response…

Needless to say, Nike doesn’t back pedal when things get uncomfortable as long as they believe in the decisions they make. i.e. “Believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing everything.” Can’t say that Nike has sacrificed everything just yet but Nike fell opened down 3.7% Tuesday after the market opened. Nike shares are still up about 29.5%, but the hashtag #NikeBoycott could hurt the brand with twitter users posting images of themselves burning and ripping their Nike shoes and apparel.

How do you feel about Nike lately?

#JustDoIt #BLACKOUT