Topic > Nike Advertising Analysis with Colin Kaepernick: Do It for Money or Cause

Nike is a major international sports brand that has always used famous sports figures to promote its brand. However, using Colin Kaepernick in one of his recent advertising campaigns is different from his usual method of using athletes to promote their brand or a new product. If you look at the ad you will realize that there is no product on promotion, it is just Colin Kaepernick, two sentences and the famous Nike logo aligned with his equally famous slogan; “Just do it.” Knowing what Colin Kaepernick represents, why he doesn't play football anymore, you're left stunned as to why Nike would use him, why would they enter a polarizing political scene? It's debatable whether Nike is getting a foothold on the political scene, but there's no arguing that the use of Colin Kaepernick in this unique ad, based on Nike's previous methods, is an extremely powerful ad. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Colin Kaepernick's Unpredictable Ad Campaign" with "Nike"Colin Kaepernick, former quarterback of the San Francisco 49ers in the NFL, was a promising young football player. After taking over from Alex Smith, former first round pick , who led the 49ers to the Super Bowl final, was a rising star, an African-American quarterback on the rise. However, Kaepernick was never able to live up to his potential, losing also his place in 2016. In one of the preseason games, Colin was visibly seen kneeling during "The Star-Spangled Banner", which captured the nation's attention and was a talking point throughout the season the game, Colin explained why he took a knee, saying, "I will not stand to show pride in a flag of a country that oppresses black people and people of color. Kaepernick is currently out of the league and having trouble finding one." new squad. The ad is simplistic in every way imaginable, but still powerful. The ad's color palette is primarily a black and white color scheme, with Colin Kaepernick filling the entire image space. He is looking directly at the camera or viewer. Under his eyes it says “Believe in something. Even if this means sacrificing everything." Most likely it refers to the fact that he kneeled during the national anthem and as a result has a bad chance of playing the championship again due to teams not wanting to deal with publicity. Furthermore, Nike could be seen to sacrifice something as well, as Colin's protest is polarizing and poses nothing short of a financial risk. At the bottom of the ad appears the Nike logo and its famous slogan “Just do it”. Colin's facial demeanor looks dark, a bit like a person who is being oppressed and has had enough. Not completely given up, but someone who is calm, with an understated confidence and an optimism that his stance will inspire more people to join his cause. It's a stretch, but the black and white color scheme can represent the mistrust and tension between white and black culture. Both Nike and Colin benefited from the publicity, Colin's message gained visibility again and as a result Nike earned 6 billion dollars. Even though no products were sold, the brand aligned itself with the side that approves of Colin's protest. As a result, getting more revenue in return, even if it meant losing customers who opposed Colin's protest. Nike has decided to align itself with a powerful message, even if it may have been a risk before.