{"id":19834,"date":"2023-11-17T16:48:59","date_gmt":"2023-11-17T16:48:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mediashower.com\/blog\/?p=19834"},"modified":"2023-11-17T16:48:59","modified_gmt":"2023-11-17T16:48:59","slug":"nikes-infamous-colin-kaepernick-ad","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mediashower.com\/blog\/nikes-infamous-colin-kaepernick-ad\/","title":{"rendered":"Controversy, Change, and Marketing: Inside Nike&#8217;s Infamous Colin Kaepernick Ad"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><b>TL:DR: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In a 2018 two-minute advertisement by Nike, Colin Kaepernick demonstrates how communicators can stay strong when taking controversial stances. Or, as he puts it in the speech, \u201cBelieve in something, even if it means sacrificing everything.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>So What?<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Communicators of all stripes will sometimes need to discuss something difficult or controversial or take action and justify it after the fact. Kaepernick\u2019s actions on and off the field show us how to face those problems with tact, grace, and generosity.<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Advertising is a great way to bring attention to products and services. But what happens when such advertisements attempt to step into controversial topics to make a statement about the world?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the case of Nike, they featured a polarizing figure in Colin Kaepernick to reflect the values of change, growth, and social justice associated with their brand.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><iframe title=\"&#039;Dream Crazy&#039; - Colin Kaepernick Nike Ad 2019\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/ekZRoSCINLA?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h2>The Controversy of Kaepernick<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In a 2016 preseason NFL game, a reporter noticed San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick sitting on the bench rather than standing when the national anthem played.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Asked about it after the game, Kaepernick explained why he was sitting, referring to multiple recent incidents where police officers had killed people of color:<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cI am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color. To me, this is bigger than football, and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He also said he\u2019d continue to do so until the flag better represented its values. After a discussion with a veteran who was also an NFL player, Kaepernick began kneeling during the anthem instead, as it was felt to show more respect for veterans and currently serving military personnel. He did so throughout the entire 2016 season.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It was a small act of personal protest that quickly became a lightning rod of controversy\u2026 controversy that eventually led Colin Kaepernick to \u201cremain unsigned\u201d entering into 2017. He was accused of disrespecting America, disrespecting veterans, and showing disdain for his team and teammates.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So, with all this controversy, why would Nike, the largest shoe brand in the industry, feature Kaepernick in a major ad campaign?<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>Using Metaphor to Frame a Message<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The clear message that leads this advertisement is simple and yet powerful: that greatness is about overcoming the odds to do something extraordinary.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There is typically no better metaphor for this than sports.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Kaepernick narrates a series of statements about what it means to achieve your dreams:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cIf they laugh at what you think you can do, good. Stay that way. Because what non-believers fail to understand is that calling a dream crazy is not an insult; it&#8217;s a compliment.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Don&#8217;t try to be the fastest runner in your school or the fastest in the world, be the fastest ever.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">[&#8230;]<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you&#8217;re born a refugee, don&#8217;t let it stop you from playing soccer for the national team at age 16.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Don&#8217;t become the best basketball player on the planet, be bigger than basketball.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Believe in something, even if it means sacrificing everything.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When they talk about the greatest team in the history of the sport, make sure it&#8217;s your team.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you have only one hand don&#8217;t just watch football, play at the highest level.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you&#8217;re a girl from Compton, don&#8217;t just become a tennis player, become the greatest athlete ever.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Yeah, that&#8217;s more like it.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So don&#8217;t ask if your dreams are crazy, ask if they&#8217;re crazy enough.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The speech is set against visuals of athletes who overcame a wide range of challenges, such as 10-year-old wrestler Isaiah Bird, who was born without legs; Muslim female boxer Zeina Nassar; and high school football linebacker and homecoming queen Alicia Woolcott. They\u2019re featured alongside better-known athletes such as Serena Williams, LeBron James, and Odell Beckham Jr.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We\u2019re all familiar with this metaphor, yet it works\u2013it shows us that overcoming severe challenges is possible. It motivates us to think about that as an aspirational goal. Accordingly, this attitude is reflected in the Nike brand (a more inspiring version of \u201cJust Do It\u201d).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But why Kaepernick? In this ad, he is positioned in the same light: as someone who bucked trends and put himself in a position to stand up for what he thought was right.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We can see that this oldest form of communication, the metaphor, tells the story we experience in this ad and pushes us to make the connections between success, overcoming adversity, athletes, Kaepernick, and, ultimately, Nike.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>Put Others First to Make a Big Statement<\/h2>\n<div id=\"attachment_19838\" style=\"width: 790px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-19838\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-19838\" src=\"http:\/\/mediashower.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/2.jpeg.jpg\" alt=\"Colin Kaepernick in a game\" width=\"780\" height=\"574\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.mediashower.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/2.jpeg.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.mediashower.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/2.jpeg-300x221.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.mediashower.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/2.jpeg-768x565.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 780px) 100vw, 780px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-19838\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Image Attribution: Erik Drost<\/p><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Nike faced difficulty itself when it continued its relationship with Kaepernick. The deal was extended with little fanfare and had solid business logic behind it, as Kaepernick\u2019s jersey quickly became one of the NFL\u2019s top sellers.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sometimes, the best way to communicate with people is to support them, to let them speak, and to let that resonate with your audience.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the case of Nike and Kaepernick, Nike knows exactly who their audience is\u2026 young people, often from diverse economic and social backgrounds, who look to sports figures and athletes as role models. These audiences are often embedded in social contexts where social justice is a significant topic. And Kaepernick is recognizable in that context.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So, it\u2019s a simple rhetorical move to let him speak on the topic as a demonstration of support of that message, as a sharing of the sentiment.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In more casual or marketing-focused approaches, this might be as simple as using social proofs like testimonials or quotes from industry leaders to show that you aren\u2019t alone in your way of thinking. More importantly, you provide a speaker with the ethos necessary to speak to a wide range of viewers or readers without putting words into their mouths.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>Class and Eloquence Create an Ethos<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Speaking of ethos\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In his speech, Kaepernick never speaks directly about himself or his choices. He does mention his situation obliquely: During the line \u201cBelieve in something, even if it means sacrificing everything,\u201d he\u2019s shown looking at an American flag projected on a building before turning to look at the camera.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Part of this is simple courtesy: Kaepernick never conflates what others went through with his experiences, nor does he imply they agree with his stance. He never tries to speak for anyone, letting their actions and achievements speak for themselves just as they did for him. He\u2019s simply another example of dreaming crazy.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This highlights that we all face different obstacles in achieving our dreams and that clearing them is to be celebrated no matter who you are. There isn\u2019t a \u201cranking\u201d of challenges in this speech: what the athletes move past ranges from personal medical problems to larger social struggles. Nike trusts the audience to understand that, granting those fights a measure of respect.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It also helps make the speech timeless; even if you have no idea who Kaepernick is, the sentiment comes through. You\u2019ll notice that\u2019s true of everyone in the video; while you can look them up to learn more about their stories, you don\u2019t need to know their names or pasts to grasp the context.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>Making Big Statements as Brand Statements<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Individually, these observations tell us some techniques we can use to approach marketing and content. Together, however, we\u2019re seeing a masterclass in what it means to be a brand in the world, to make a statement of value as that brand, and to do it effectively.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When Nike was challenged about their association with Kaepernick, the company pushed back, saying their work with the former NFL player wasn\u2019t simply about selling merchandise but about reflecting a set of values that the brand held dear.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is a tricky balancing act for brands, where political statements are seen as suspect. But Nike, with class, eloquence, and an eye for the power of metaphor and sports, was able to weave a story about overcoming adversity and standing up for what\u2019s right, all in 120 seconds.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you need help crafting effective communication for your target audience, Media Shower wants to use our expertise for your benefit. <\/span><\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/mediashower.com\/user\/free_trial?__mscta=2822_97621_162\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Get a free trial<\/span><\/i><\/a><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and find out for yourself.\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/mediashower.com\/blog\/content-marketing-plan-template\/?__mscta=2965_97621_162\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-19295 size-full\" src=\"http:\/\/mediashower.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/3-2.png\" alt=\"marketers meet your master plan cta\" width=\"680\" height=\"240\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.mediashower.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/3-2.png 680w, https:\/\/www.mediashower.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/3-2-300x106.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Colin Kaepernick\u2019s \u201cDream Crazy\u201d speech shows us how to stand by our principles while celebrating the struggles and accomplishments of others.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":113,"featured_media":19837,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[459],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mediashower.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19834"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mediashower.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mediashower.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mediashower.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/113"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mediashower.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=19834"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.mediashower.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19834\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":19839,"href":"https:\/\/www.mediashower.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19834\/revisions\/19839"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mediashower.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/19837"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mediashower.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19834"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mediashower.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=19834"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mediashower.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=19834"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}