The decision by Nike to use Colin Kaepernick as the face of the ad campaign celebrating the 30th anniversary of 'Just Do It' reflects a brave move by a brand to stand on the right side of history. While social media was predictably filled with talk of a Nike boycott, and accusations that the company was complicit in disrespecting the national flag and anthem, it is important to note that protests should be defined by what the protestor says they are about - not a context foisted on them by their detractors. This was true of MLK, and Muhammad Ali and is true of Kaepernick. Non-violent civil protest is as proud a legacy of America as fighting against fascism in WWII was.
What is fascinating from a marketing perspective is how this one ad has completely redefined Nike’s brand purpose which is 'To bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete (*) in the world' (* if you have a body, you are an athlete.) By putting 30 years of equity against the ‘Just Do It’ tagline in service of not just sporting excellence, but moral excellence, it has allowed the brand to open up the territory it intends to play in; this is not just about success on the playing field, but redefining what success means in the world.
It did so by also aligning itself with someone who has now transcended the world of sports that they came from and has seemingly found their own true calling and purpose as someone who uses their platform to bring attention to social justice issues. While other brands have steered clear of endorsing Kaepernick, afraid of touching the third rail of American culture, Nike has stepped into the moment and firmly asserted its point of view in a way that few other brands (for instance, Patagonia) have had the courage and confidence to do.
In doing so, it has also allowed itself to re-introduce itself to a new generation of Gen-Z consumers who are now more passionate than ever about the need for brands to help solve social and environmental problems. Gen- Z makes up a quarter of the U.S. population, currently holds $44 billion in spending power, and will account for 40% of all consumers by 2020, and their opinions on whether brands should get involved in activism are pretty clear-cut. In this survey from Do Something Strategic, 76% of Gen-Z said they have purchased (53%) or would consider purchasing (23%) a brand/product to show support for the issues the brand supported. Moreover, when it comes to employee brands, 85% of Gen-Z employees believe the companies they work for have an obligation to help solve social problems.
Of course, this doesn’t detract from the fact that Nike needs to do some serious internal work to recover from its series of scandals which have rocked the company in recent months, which have centered around the allegedly sexist treatment of female employees and executives. Brands have ‘moral bank accounts’ and Nike’s has been running at an overdraft recently. The decision to stand with Kaepernick does not distract from the fact that the corporation needs to get its house in order or risk losing share from their increasingly core demographic of women and young girls.
Advertising legend Bill Bernbach once famously said, "It's not a principle until it costs you money." While Nike’s share price dipped this morning, I think that in the coming weeks as people support Nike's decision that we'll see the opposite, and that the Kaepernick line may become the Che Guevara-esque icon that reflects our cultural zeitgeist. Nike may yet prove the opposite of what Bernbach said: that in this day and age, it is possible for you to stand by your principles and make money at the same time.
