Nike and Kaepernick: Success or Setback?

Recently, Nike revealed a campaign featuring former NFL player, Colin Kaepernick. An ad was released stating a quote from Kaepernick, “Believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing everything.” After the unveiling of the campaign, controversy began to rise. A video of someone burning their Nike shoes went viral on social media, and people began to boycott the company.

So, why has this started such an outrage? During the NFL season, Colin Kaepernick began a trend of protests in the sport, consisting of kneeling during the playing of the national anthem. The purpose of the protest was to stand up against police brutality towards people of different races. Kaepernick stated, “I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color.” However, not everyone is on board with the protest. Some claim that politics do not belong on the football field, it’s disrespectful to veterans and military, and the act is just unpatriotic in general. 

While many are upset with Nike for partnering with somebody in the middle of controversy like Kaepernick, the company has stated that they don’t believe this campaign has negatively affected their sales. According to a report from Edison Trends, Nike’s online sales actually increased by 31% after the campaign. In addition to that, Kaepernick’s 49ers jersey has become one of best selling jerseys in the league.

So, knowing all of this, was this campaign a success for Nike as a business, or did it only bring down their reputation?