Nikes Beliefs

Powerful, but controversial ad, as a non-american i had to do some research to know who the guy was and what the story was. basically he’s a quarterback that kneeled during the american anthem (you’re supposed to stand) in protest of shootings against black teens. Consequently he was kicked out of the NFL and hasn’t played since 2016, losing his whole career.
The ad has gotten a lot of press attention and even the stock price has been shaken.

But, take a step back and look at this ad through a more pragmatic business lense, removing away from the emotionally charged issue.
nike has taken a side, and when you think about their TA and the ppl that actually buy their products… the kind of person who’s going to ‘protest’ this message isn’t the kind of person who’s going to be buying nike in the first place… more over, as an international brand…. for markets like SEA where we don’t know the player or the story,.. its still a powerful message, if we assume that more sales of Nike are from outside the USA than from within, its a smart move.
Case in point


Nike have a track record of being on the right side of issues — they put a dark skinned kid in their ads — as the “Future of Golf” and caused an uproar — this is imbedded in their culture. Or to put it another way they “believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing everything.”