Most brands work hard to avoid controversy, which means they often come off as plain vanilla -- staying quietly in a safe space.
Nike, though, has plunged right into a red-hot polarizing issue, and I think they'll come out ahead long-term.
The iconic footwear/athleticwear company, which had maintained its endorsement relationship with controversial football star/pariah Colin Kaepernick, has gone a big step further -- featuring the embattled player in its new ad campaign that celebrates 30 years of the "Just Do It" ad slogan. The new ad with a close-up of Kaepernick, has the headline "Believe in something, even if it means sacrificing everything."
The tweeter-in-chief could not, of course, sit quietly on the sidelines for this, and his divisive comments have brought even more attention to the new campaign. Ad experts estimate Nike has so far received $43 million worth of publicity -- nearly half of it positive, about 20 percent neutral and a quarter negative.
Among the brand's key demographic -- 18 to 34-year olds -- 56 percent felt on-field protests like what Kaepernick was fired for are appropriate.
Not surprisingly, social media is ablaze with calls to boycott Nike products. But many online and in surveys are praising the company and say they will buy more Nike products to support its bravery and its standing on principles they agree with.
In the face of the presidential bluster on Twitter, the NFL issued a statement in support of Nike and Kaepernick. "The NFL believes in dialogue, understanding and unity. We embrace the role and responsibility of everyone involved with this game to promote meaningful, positive change in our communities. The social justice issues that Colin and other professional athletes have raised deserve our attention and action," the statement said.
Calling attention to the troubling and complex issue of alleged police brutality, especially in minority communities, is a good thing. It is not an act of disrespect to our flag, our national anthem or our military, as some would have us think as a way to confuse the issue. It is simply a quiet and peaceful way to call attention to a real issue that we as a society need to deal with.