As the world rested on Labor Day, Nike, the official apparel company of the NFL, was working. Colin Kaepernick is the face of the 30th anniversary of Nike’s “Just Do it” motto, and he let the world know via Twitter Monday. The company has faced praise and backlash all in the same breath. Loyal fans have cut the Nike checks off their socks and burned their shoes, and Nike stocks even fell three-percent at the time.
However, Nike didn’t face anything that wasn’t calculated. There were meetings upon meetings upon meetings about this decision. What the Nike marketing team and executives understood is that Colin Kaepernick could very well be the next Tommie Smith and John Carlos, athletes and activists, who were willing to put it all on the line for equality. In the 1968 Summer Olympics, after winning the Gold and Bronze medals in the 200-meter dash, the men raised their fist in the air on national televisions to protest inequality. They were criticized and received death threats yet 50 years later are hailed as heroes.
Kaepernick was the starting QB for the San Francisco 49ers when he took a stand against racial injustice and police brutality by kneeling during the national anthem. The protest drew criticism from NFL fans and even President Donald Trump but also praise from other athletes and community leaders.
Nike hacked the culture. They injected themselves into a conversation that’s going to pay-off literally. That’s exactly why Colin Kaepernick was reportedly paid $43-million to be the face of Nike’s 30th-anniversary campaign. Here’s why:
1) Nike received more than $43-million in exposure. Every network and popular internet show host chimed in.
2) Nike further defined their brand with a defining picture of Colin Kaepernick and the slogan, “Believe in something, even if it means sacrificing everything.
3) When it’s all said and done, Nike can say they were a part of the change.
Don’t get me wrong, if it doesn’t make “cents” we probably won’t see a company like Nike take this step. They understand the power of publicity, whether good, bad, or indifferent. If they paid Kaepernick $43-million, how much do you think they estimated receiving on the backend?
Kaepernick may not realize it, but his story became valuable the minute he protested. He was one of the top QBs in the league and making great money, but he wanted to stand for something bigger, so he took a knee. When he was asked to stand up. He took a knee, and when the world asked why he spoke about injustice. He never wavered. He was compared to Jim Brown, Muhammad Ali, Tommie Smith and John Carlos. All men who benefitted financially from their stories. Nike is going to benefit too!
