Nike Inc. is planning to air a “Just Do It” TV commercial featuring Colin Kaepernick Thursday night during the NFL’s regular-season opener.
The former San Francisco 49ers quarterback voices the ad, which calls for individuals to follow their dreams and ignore naysayers, according to ESPN and other news outlets. “Calling a dream crazy is not an insult,” Kaepernick states in the spot. “It’s a compliment.”
The ad also features NBA star LeBron James, tennis champion Serena Williams, New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr., marathoner Eliud Kipchoge and skateboarder Lacey Baker as well as inspirational athletes such as NFL linebacker Shaquem Griffin, wheelchair basketball player Megan Blunk, boxer Zeina Nassar and legless wrestler Isaiah Bird.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fq2CvmgoO7I
Nike first stoked controversy earlier this week by revealing a print ad starring Kaepernick as part of an overall campaign to support the 30th anniversary of the “Just Do It” slogan. Kaepernick gained notoriety in 2016 when he refused to stand for the National Anthem in protest against police brutality and the mistreatment of minorities in the U.S.
As word of Kaepernick’s inclusion in the new campaign got out, protests have spread across social media with some calling for a boycott of the Nike brand. Other stars has come to the brand’s and Kaepernick’s defense.
Apex Marketing Group estimated that in less than 24 hours since news arrived of Kaepernick’s inclusion, Nike had received more than $43 million worth of media exposure, the vast majority of it neutral to positive.
The game featuring the Atlanta Falcons and Philadelphia Eagles airs on NBC.
