Kaepernick and Nike

On Monday September 3rd Nike revealed that they are using former NFL Quarterback Collin Kaepernick as the face of their 30th anniversary of the “Just Do It” campaign. Many different opinions have been expressed about weather Nike is hijacking the conversation to take the backlash that they currently facing from lawsuits being filed against them for gender and racial discrimination; as well Nike’s history of the questionable labor conditions in which the employees who make the Nike sneakers are subject to. The other opinion being; Nike will not only stand by their athletes but will also be on the right side of history when future generations look back on the historical Kaepernick situation. At the beginning of the 2016 season Kaepernick began kneeling during the national anthem in protest of police brutality against minorities of color. He received much backlash from people including President Trump who all claimed he was disrespecting the American flag. Much of that narrative has continued to be pushed despite the fact that Kaepernick was once told by a former Green Beret Nate Boyer that to show respect to the military you should kneel not sit during the national anthem. Fast Forward to 2018 Kaepernick has filed a lawsuit against the NFL for collusion by the NFL owners to keep him out of the league. There is a growing sentiment among certain fans that the NFL has colluded to keep Kaepernick of the league; Many have given the example of several lesser talented quarterbacks getting jobs ahead of Kaepernick.

I believe Nike is making a great business decision because they are using Kaepernick to spread his message while simultaneously making sure they are constantly talked about, especially with this milestone in their company’s history happening. Nike is also choosing to side with the 18-35 demographic which is not only the core target audience but also many of who believe in Kaepernick's past actions and current message. Another thing that I would applaud Nike for is that they also realize black people buy shoes and apparel as well. In the end this is a win win for Nike and Kaepernick Nike gets talked about even more. Kaepernick receives a full apparel, shoe line and a platform, which he can use the proceeds to continue to further his cause to spread his message of wanting everyone to be treated with respect.