My Feelings on Nike's Controversial Ad

They say you shouldn't talk about politics on the first date and that you should avoid it at all costs when talking with friends... I tend to disagree. I talked to Clayton about my views immediately. I'm someone that doesn't like to scoot around issues and I think we live in a time that if you aren't openly speaking about your views and opinions, you are hurting the cause and issue you care about.

For people to take a stand about political issues is one thing, but when brands do it, it can be quite controversial. Nike took a big risk this week by unveiling their new marketing campaign that features athletes from a variety of sports with a tagline that is unique to their personal brands. And if you haven't heard already, there is one ad in particular that is causing a stir: Colin Kaepernick.

Whenever I see an ad my brain splits in two directions; the first is my marketing side and the next is my consumer side.

What My Marketing Mind Thinks

I loved it! Nike has some of the best ads in all of history, but this one was right on the mark. Nike's target market is the millennial generation who are interested in sports. Today's teens and young adults want to stand with companies that stand up for what they believe in. They don't want a company to be complacent and make no remark about the world that we live in. Obviously if you are a consumer and you do not agree with the side they are standing on, you're not going to be happy with Nike, but that is a risk they were willing to take. The people that believe in their messaging have now become brand loyalists, which is arguably better than having customers who buy a variety of sports brands.

In terms of PR, this got people talking. It was released right before football begins and all while Kaepernick is suing the NFL. This move, I have no doubt, was calculated. Whether you like it or not, you're talking about it. Sure, Nike stocks took a bit of a dip, but that's just from the initial shock. I have a feeling we will see an increase in Nike stock over the next few months to a year.

What My Consumer Mind Thinks

I loved it! Like I said, I live in a generation that wants the brands we consume to take a stand on issues. I happen to be on the side that believes Kaepernick had the right to protest in the way that he did, and I can appreciate someone for standing up for what they believe in. I understand people don't like it, and that's their prerogative, but I just don't believe he's being disrespectful, especially since the idea was given to him from someone in the military who said it would be a sign of respect to kneel. And in the interest of not sounding like a hypocrite, I do think that the people who are destroying their Nike items over this could have donated them to someone in need, but again, if that's how they would like to protest, be my guest.

It's important to me that we discuss the issues surrounding our current political climate, because again, complacency is just unacceptable at this point. Nike got us all talking and I respect and appreciate that. I've had a few conversations with people who disagree with me on the subject, but we at least talked. They heard me and I heard them. That's what we all need to be doing! Let's hear each other out from time to time. Let's find that middle ground, because (although maybe overly optimistic) I do believe that middle ground exists somewhere, but we have to all communicate effectively first.

And yes, I will continue to support Nike and purchase their products. But we also need to remember that corporations are out to make money. This was a trend that Nike capitalized on that they knew would be profitable. I'm not going to buy Nike because it aligns with my political beliefs, although I appreciate their stance, I just will continue to buy because i enjoy their products.

I'm also very intrigued by the argument that "he doesn't know true sacrifice"? While I don't know him personally and I can't speak to his sacrifices or lack thereof, I would like to pose the question: Does one persons seemingly "larger" sacrifice diminish the "smaller" sacrifice of someone else? Just something to ponder. To me that's similar to someone saying "I'm tired" and someone else saying, "Oh YOU'RE tired???"....We can all live on the spectrum of tired okay?! lol