Nike isn\u2019t just the casual sportswear or lifestyle clothing, but standing among the world\u2019s top influencers, being the symbol of young generation\u2019s identity. Such is one of the reasons why Nike\u2019s recent decision is so important, because not only this advertisement marked the 30th anniversary of \u201cJust do it\u201d campaign, but also involving Nike\u2019s decision that choose the athlete with most socially and politically outstanding stance of this generation as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Colin Kaepernick begins his narration in this advertisement with \u201cIf people say your dream is crazy, if they laugh at what you think you can do, good. Because coined the dream crazy is not an insult, but a compliment.\u201d The 2 minutes advertisement shows the childhood of many superstar athletes such as NBA basketballer, LeBron James, and world class tennis women, Serena Williams, back when they were not recognised as talented people. Kaepernick ends the commercial with \u201cSo don\u2019t ask if your dream is crazy, ask if they\u2019re crazy enough.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n When we looked back to the brand\u2019s personality, Nike has always choose to appeared as bold, frenzied, daredevil, just like their slogan \u201cJust do it\u201d. Even when other sportswear tried to communicated along the same line, Nike is always the \u201creckless\u201d of the group. Nike also being much more understanding and giving more acceptance of athletes just as they are, which make them more in touch with their users, along with series of Nike\u2019s campaigns that promoted \u201cEquality\u201d and \u201cFreedom of expression\u201d under \u201cJust do it\u201d concept for 30 years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In other words, it just come out in the best time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Colin Kaepernick and Human Rights activities<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Colin Kaepernick got his controversial fame just before the American National Football League 2016, when he kneeled during the national anthem as the protest to police brutality. He called for equal protection of all Americans regardless of race, and sparked the massive peaceful movement in history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhile taking a knee is a physical display that challenges the merits of who is excluded from the notion of freedom, liberty, and justice for all, the protest is also rooted in a convergence of my moralistic beliefs, and my love for the people.”<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n — Kaepernick, Ambassador of Conscience award, 2018.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBelieve in something. Even if it means sacrificing everything\u201d is not just a speech for Kaepernick because when many athletes followed his lead, his fight took turns to finding the chance to get back into the field instead, as he became unemployed since 2017 after his sitting protest for injustice in US, especially toward african community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Even when he sacrificed his job and future, Kaepernick still continued to fight by found an organization to fight against oppression around the world through education and social activism. He also funding the \u201cKnow your rights camp\u201d campaign, which all adolescents can join for free, in order to empower education and their self-worth in the eyes of colored youth, along with teaching how to protect their rights through laws.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At the beginning of 2018, Amnesty International has given Colin Kaepernick the Ambassador of Conscience award, as the athlete and activist who inspired the whole world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI would like to thank Amnesty International for the Ambassador of Conscience Award. But in truth, this is an award that I share with all of the countless people throughout the world combating the human rights violations of police officers, and their uses of oppressive and excessive force. To quote Malcolm X, when he said that he, \u2018will join in with anyone \u2014 I don\u2019t care what colour you are \u2014as long as you want to change this miserable condition that exists on this earth,\u2019 I am here to join with you all in this battle against police violence,\u201d said Colin Kaepernick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Marketing VS Social Standpoint<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Even though Nike has the clear marketing standpoint, the message in this commercial is exactly Nike\u2019s DNA, and no one can argue that this commercial has imperfect elements. Nonetheless, what\u2019s more important than artistic value of the commercial is the context of the current society. If we look at the commercial without all the controversial elements, it would be just a message to not giving up on your dreams, and they can be done no matter how crazy it seem. However, with Nike\u2019s fame with through thinking commercial, it will never be this simple.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There are varied backlashes to Nike on social media, ranging from burning of Nike products, #NikeBoycott on Twitter, all the way to 3% drop from stock market. Meanwhile Nike\u2019s sale increase by 31% compared to last year, excluding advertising values Nike received during past weeks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The question is, with such strong social standpoint Nike took, how does it affects their consumers?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n One interpretation we could take from Nike\u2019s decision to choose Kaepernick is that Nike took the challenge to America\u2019s \u201cnationality\u201d itself. Because US\u2019s debate on \u201cnationality\u201d and \u201cconservatism\u201d have became important since \u201cDonald Trump\u201d came into presidency. Especially when Trump came out to criticised the athletes, along with everyone refuse to stand up to the anthem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Nike\u2019s commercial has completely divided people into 2 sides: agreed and disagreed, without any possibility to straddling the fence, which is a rare decision in marketing where \u201cfame\u201d and \u201cprofit\u201d are one and the same. This decision will alienated the disagreed consumers away, forcing their customer to \u201cchoose side\u201d and losing them completely for the brand\u2019s long term goal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Another issues with Nike is that Nike themselves are not flawless regarding human rights. At one point Nike was under assaults from many actors regarding workforce oppression and child labors. Even though Nike has told everyone they changed, but the society still in doubt. It could be that Nike planned to build a new facade to show to the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And when we look back in history, many athletes who made a stance regarding the social and political issues tended to be disgraced at that moment, but raised as the \u201cHeroes\u201d soon after, just like Jackie Robinson, Muhammad Ali, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, or even other NFL players like Jim Brown. Perhaps Nike has decided they want to stand side by side with the heroes eventually.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And should Nike make a right decision, they could also become hero as well, making history for themselves once more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sports: Public sphere or Marketing tools?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n We could say that sports have been used as \u201cpublic sphere\u201d to hosted social movements for the long time. One significant example is Muhammad Ali, who back when he was at the highest of his career as the world heavyweight champion, he performed civil disobedience by refused to join US conscription for Vietnam War. The result is his arrest and confisticated of his champion belt and US boxing license. Ali also suffered backlashes from his fans that viewed his refusal as betrayal to US nationality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Although the media lately stop to presented sports as Habermas\u2019s \u201cpublic sphere\u201d, where it is the social space where people meet and debate issues, leading to mutual recognition of issues and decision to join social and political movement for the sake of the whole community. Rather, they present sports as business tool to reach the audiences through branding on the uniforms, stadium, and athlete\u2019s endorsement. Due to this, sports turn into space that connected people with just rules, friendships, sportsmanship, without any social meaning at all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In this case, Nike\u2019 decision to pick Kaepernick is definitely not a coincidence, but to also celebrate athleticism along with humanity. Because sports is not just a physical race, but also about experience of creating game in society with rules and struggling that required cooperation, training, discipline, sportsmanship and value of humanity. Which is why sports become \u201csocial structure\u201d that is very important to child development, as it taught not only physical development, but educated them the beginning of humanity. Nike is the world-class brand that emphatised this value.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the end, although Colin Kaepernick\u2019s social standpoint leads to destruction of his career and his future for the benefit of humanity that many believe he is \u201ccrazy\u201d, but he probably retorts with what he concluded at the end of Nike\u2019s commercial anyway; \u201cask if they\u2019re crazy enough\u201d.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u0e2d\u0e49\u0e32\u0e07\u0e2d\u0e34\u0e07<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n http:\/\/kusumakooyai.blogspot.com\/2013\/05\/blog-post.html<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.amnesty.or.th\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2018\/09\/image-6-1024x512.png\")
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