Just Do It just became Just Got Done! Nike teaming up with Colin Kaepernick is the smartest thing they could have done. I completely support Nike and Kaepernick! Although Nike working with Kaepernick is obviously more for financial gain, this collaboration does make a huge statement.
After Kaepernick kneeled during the national anthem as a way to protest racial injustice, he opted out of the 49ers last year. Since then he has not been signed. This year Nike has made Kaepernick the face of their new ad, and of course, there is hatred toward it. In early September the ad was released and immediately after people made sure to express their disapproval.
People are now boycotting Nike for hiring Kaepernick. The only positive thing about this boycott is that people are now able to easily identify those who are Trump supporters, right wingers, and those who are a part of the Ku Klux Klan. As a way to boycott, people are setting their Nike shoes aflame. I couldn't make this up even if I wanted to. That's right, people are actually taking the shoes they have either purchased themselves or have gotten as gifts and are idiotically setting their shoes on fire. I say idiotically because those people who are against Nike's decision to hire Kaepernick are boycotting in a way that disadvantages themselves.
John Rich of the country music duo, Big & Rich (I've never heard of them either) tweeted "Our soundman just cut the Nike swoosh off his socks. Former Marine. Get ready Nike to multiply that by the millions." In response to this tweet comedian, Paul F. Tompkins wrote, "THIS IS THE GREATEST, STUPIDEST THING. If there is ANY upside to the ugliness of the wave of open white supremacy we are experiencing right now it is THE HILARIOUS COMEDY OF SHEER DUMBITUDE.''
As ridiculous as it is for people to do this, I'm not against them burning their shoes. In fact, I think that they should continue to buy Nike shoes and do whatever they want with them. I can sleep easily at night knowing that Kaepernick is going to get a great cut of the money these people are spending to buy shoes from Nike just so they can "boycott" and express their outrage.
Again, Nike knew that by collaborating with Kaepernick that they would make a huge profit; whether its people buying more Nike products to show their support for Kaepernick or its people buying more Nike products just so they can burn them later to show their hatred for him and Nike's decision. This was truly a smart move for Nike; however, I think that people would remember this more as Nike supporting Kaepernick's activism more than their want for financial gain. I definitely think that people will focus more on the message this act gave rather than about the actual intent behind it. This commercial is showing a positive message and also shows the number of people supporting him.
