A controversial commercial from Nike that featured former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick as the face of its “Just Do It” campaign won a 2019 Creative Arts Emmy Award for outstanding commercial.
The Creative Arts Emmy Awards were held Saturday and preceded the more well-known prime-time Emmy Awards that airs later this month.
Last year’s ad, which stoked outrage among conservatives for Kaepernick’s inclusion, featured the 31-year-old athlete along with others who promote social justice causes. Kaepernick, who was the first athlete to kneel during the National Anthem, says in the video, “Believe in something even if it means sacrificing everything.”
Kaepernick’s refusal to stand for the anthem prompted some other athletes and football players on other NFL teams to also join in the protest. He was not signed as a free agent ahead of the 2017 football season and has not played in the league since then. He reached a settlement with the NFL this year after filing a grievance complaint that owners have worked to keep him from playing.
After the commercial narrated by Kaepernick was released, some opposed to it began ditching their Nike products, even burning them. Kaepernick says he kneeled to raise awareness about racial issues in the country.
“I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color,” Kaepernick said while still playing. “To me, this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way.”
Believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing everything. #JustDoIt pic.twitter.com/x5TnU7Z51i
— Colin Kaepernick (@Kaepernick7) September 5, 2018
President Trump expressed anger with the Nike ad over Twitter after the commercial was released.
“Just like the NFL, whose ratings have gone WAY DOWN, Nike is getting absolutely killed with anger and boycotts. I wonder if they had any idea that it would be this way? As far as the NFL is concerned, I just find it hard to watch, and always will, until they stand for the FLAG!” Trump said.
Just like the NFL, whose ratings have gone WAY DOWN, Nike is getting absolutely killed with anger and boycotts. I wonder if they had any idea that it would be this way? As far as the NFL is concerned, I just find it hard to watch, and always will, until they stand for the FLAG!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 5, 2018
