Just do it. And so they did.

Nike made Colin Kaepernick the face of its new ad campaign and a lot of people were offended that the man best known as the player who launched the NFL protests against the flag and anthem would be so recognized and so honored by the sportswear giant.

Former football fans who stopped watching because of the chain of events that Kaepernick launched turned their anger and frustration toward Nike.  The stock took a dip, people appeared on facebook and other social media burning Nike shoes, socks and apparel BUT did this reaction set off a reaction of its own? 

Despite those images of flaming sneakers, the Nike ad featuring former NFL player Colin Kaepernick seems to be a success. AdWeek.com reports that sales of Nike products rose 31 percent over the Labor Day weekend compared to the same period a year before.

The apparel giant’s shares rose about half a percentage point to close at $82.63 today 9/11/18. Nike’s stock had closed at $82.20 the day before it revealed Kaepernick’s role in a campaign to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the "Just Do It” slogan.

One marketing expert told the advertising industry magazine that the protests probably helped boost sales to admirers of Nike or Kaepernick, or both.

 

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