AUSTIN, Texas — Nike released a new ad featuring Colin Kaepernick on Monday. The black and white photo has two sentences on it, but it has caused a lot of reaction.
“It’s simple, but it’s powerful,” said Mark Alpert, a retired UT professor, who taught marketing for 46 years.
Alpert said that even though it’s controversial, it’s a good move by the company.
“I think they’re aligning themselves with a cause that many of their customers believe in and that’s never a bad thing,” Alpert said.
Alpert also noted this isn’t the first time Nike pushed the boundaries.
“It reminded me of the ‘hello world’ campaign they did when Tiger Woods was just coming into the game over 20 years ago,” Alpert said, referencing the 1996 Nike ad. “And it ends by saying, ‘I’m the only man who’s ever won the US Amateur three consecutive years. There’s still courses I can't play because of the color of my skin.’”
Alpert said not all Nike customers will agree with the message of the new ad.
“You don’t need 50 percent market share to be successful in marketing. You just need to strike a resonant chord,” Alpert explained, saying he thinks the ad did just that.