Nike defies Trump’s ire by embracing NFL’s kneeling Colin Kaepernick, new face of ‘Just Do It’ campaign
‘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’
Nike Inc has chosen Colin Kaepernick, the first NFL player to kneel during the national anthem as a protest against racism, as one of the faces for advertisements commemorating the 30th anniversary of its “Just Do It” slogan, risking the ire of US President Donald Trump.
“Colin has been a Nike athlete since 2011,” Nike spokeswoman Sandra Carreon-John said on Monday. “Colin is one of a number of athletes being featured as part of our 30th anniversary of Just Do It.”
She said Nike unveiled the campaign last week by releasing a film featuring Serena Williams entitled “Voice of Belief.”
The former NFL quarterback posted a black-and-white close-up of himself on Instagram and Twitter on Monday featuring the Nike logo and “Just do it” slogan along with the quote, “Believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing everything.”
“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,” said Gino Fisanotti, a Nike vice-president of brand for North America, according to a story by ESPN story, which first reported Nike’s decision to use Kaepernick as part of the ad campaign.
Kaepernick was a quarterback with the San Francisco 49ers for six years. He stirred a national controversy by taking a knee while the anthem was played before games during the National Football League’s 2016 season to draw attention to police killings of black men and other issues.