So Nike decided to make Colin Kaepernick the face of its 30th anniversary 'Just Do It' campaign. This is about as significant a thing as has happened, the biggest sign of a true sea change in our society. First, let’s understand that Nike does not have a conscience. It is a business first and foremost. And that business is to sell shoes and clothing to people starting somewhere around twelve and stretching into at least the mid to late thirties. They have no desire to support Kaepernick no matter what they say. If it was in their best interests they would ban his image from everything they do without a thought. Nike spends an enormous amount of human hours and tens of millions of dollars researching their ‘Just Do It’ campaigns. The 30th anniversary is probably the most important so far.
And they make Kaepernick the face of their campaign. They believe the people who buy their shoes support Kaepernick, respect him, want to be like him. Think about that — a man who has been decried publicly by the President of the United States, blackballed by his employers, almost wiped clean of mention from the network that reports on sports. He has challenged the existential existence of the most popular sport in America based on his convictions about a more just America. Any yet Nike believes he should be the face of their company in their most important advertising campaign, because the people who buy sneakers want to be like him.
I have never been so certain the young vote will come out this year if we give them something to vote for.