Despite critical tweets and an initial drop in the company’s stock price, Nike’s new advertising campaign featuring controversial former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick may be paying off.
According to a MarketWatch report, Nike’s online sales were up 31 percent from the Sunday of Labor Day weekend through Tuesday. The company saw a 17 percent increase over the same period last year, stated the report, which was based on data from San Francisco–based Edison Trends.
The company’s new ad campaign featuring Kaepernick makes reference to his on-field protests against police brutality by kneeling during the anthem. Its advertisements feature the slogan, “Believe in something, even if it means sacrificing everything.”
[Opinion: Dear Nike: Colin Kaepernick didn’t sacrifice ‘everything,’ and it wasn’t for a good cause]
The ad campaign, like the player protests during the national anthem themselves, drew criticism Thursday from President Trump.
“I don’t like what Nike did. I don’t think it’s appropriate what they did. I honor the flag. I honor our national anthem. And most of the people in this country feel the same way,” Trump told Fox News.
Nike’s stock price dropped more than 3 percent in the wake of the announcement, closing at $79.60 Tuesday. The stock rebounded to $80.30 at the market close Friday.
