Created to honor the 30th anniversary of Nike’s “Just Do It” slogan, the ad titled “Dream Crazy” inspires to dare to dream. To illustrate the point, the spot stars athletes from all walks of life including Serena Williams, LeBron James, Rio gold medalist wheelchair athlete Megan Blunk and wrestler Isaiah Bird, who was born without legs.
Released just yesterday, the Nike Dream Crazy ad has attracted over 4 million views on YouTube. While many say the ad is inspiring, many others are just as critical of Nike for casting Colin Kaepernick as the central character in the ad.
Controversy chased Kaepernick when he started kneeling during the American national anthem, as a non-violent symbol of protest against police brutality.
“I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of colour,” Kaepernick once said in a press conference after first sitting out during the anthem. “To me, this is bigger than football, and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way. There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder.” (source).
“Take a Knee” gained momentum when Trump famously said that NFL players should be fired for kneeling during the national anthem. From then on, Kaepernick became a controversial figure and has not been signed to any NFL team since March 2017 when he opted out of his contract with the San Francisco 49ers.
Aftermath of “Dream Crazy”
Just as the Nike Dream Crazy ad has earned applause, those who are against it have started their own counter-movement in the form of the hashtag #NikeBoycott.
A quick check of the hashtag reveals posts of how people are destroying Nike branded gear and uploading footages of the destruction onto social media. Twitter user @playazball’s even claims to have burned his feet after setting his Nike shoes on fire while wearing them.
Some of those outraged by the ad include President Trump, who took to Twitter to claim that “Nike is getting absolutely killed with anger and boycotts”. Additionally, Nike stock has dipped by 3% after releasing the politically charged ad, sources report.
To date, Nike has yet to respond to the backlash. But we don’t expect it to. For years, Nike has been all about “Just Do It” and on the 30th year since the mantra was first introduced, the brand continues to live up to it.
What are your thoughts on Nike’s latest campaign? Sound off in the comments section below.
Featured image: Nike
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