Nike's Use Of Kaepernick In Ad Campaign — Good Or Bad? [POLL]

The decision by Nike to use former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick as one of the faces of its "Just Do It" 30th anniversary ad campaign has been understandably controversial. Kaepernick himself has been controversial ever since he first remained seated during the playing of the National Anthem before games, but then started taking a knee in 2016.

Kaepernick and other NFL players said they are protesting police brutality against African-Americans. Others, including President Donald Trump, have reframed the protest as being disrespectful to the American flag and its veterans.

Whether the move by Nike was altruistic, just a business move or a combination of both may be determined in the future.

In the present, Nike's stock dropped in early trading after the announcement.

However, sales began surging, according to the New York Post. The research firm Edison Trends said sales spiked by 31 percent from Sunday, Sept. 2 through Tuesday, Sept. 4.

And the stock rebounded from a low of $79 per share Tuesday to end the week at $80.30 per share.

Stock price or sale numbers aside, there were the seemingly inevitable protests in which people who had purchased Nike products cut them up, set them on fire or otherwise tried to destroy them — just to send a message.

There were also calls to boycott the sports gear company.

Some who track social media data aren't seeing much of a threat to Nike.

TickerTags analysts Mark Bachman and Daria Woods said in a recent report that a look at mentions on Twitter of a Nike boycott don't support "a strong negative call against Nike," MarketWatch said.

The data they are tracking about Nike doesn't concern them, especially when compared to calls in 2017 and 2018 against Starbucks after the coffee-selling giant promised to hire refugees and had two black men arrested for using a store bathroom, respectively.

One New York gym responded to suggestions on social media to donate unwanted Nike merchandise rather than destroy it in protest.

The Body Blueprint, located at 625 Fifth Ave. in Pelham, Westchester County, put out a call for any and all unwanted Nike sneakers and clothing.

Founder Vincent Miceli is not just saying he will make sure anything dropped off will be put to good use; he is pledging $10 for each item received to the Wounded Warrior Project, a nonprofit that honors and empowers those injured while serving the United States.

"Nike took sides and I am sure people will say I am as well," Miceli said in a prepared statement. "This is a well-intentioned move, not a political statement.

"There is no right or wrong here, which is the beauty of it all," he said. "It's the great thing about living in America."

Photo caption: A billboard featuring former San Francisco 49ers quaterback Colin Kaepernick is displayed on the roof of the Nike Store on September 5, 2018, in San Francisco, California. Nike launched an ad campaign to commemorate the 30th anniversary of its iconic 'Just Do It' motto that features controversial former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick and a message that says 'Believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing everything.' Photo credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images.