Urging everyone to be part of the change (and part of the protest), Nike and partner agency Wieden + Kennedy, Portland launched a spot called ‘For Once, Don’t Do It’ in response to the protests sweeping the USA following the death of George Floyd after police in Minneapolis kneeled on his neck for almost nine minutes
Released on 29 May, four days after George Floyd was killed when Minneapolis police kneeled on his neck for almost nine minute in broad daylight, it twists and subverts its globally famous tagline – arguably advertising’s most famous – twisting ‘Just Do It’ into ‘Don’t Do It’ in response to the nationwide protests surrounding the deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and Breonna Taylor.
Urging all viewers to be ‘part of the change’ , the ad takes a classic Nike creative approach in the form of a series of simple, yet powerful statements in white copy set on a black background calling on everyone not to turn their back or ignore the issue of racism in the United States.
The copy reads:
The ‘For Once, Don’t Do It’ copy reads:
Don’t pretend there’s not a problem in America.
Don’t turn your back on racism.
Don’t accept innocent lives being taken from us.
Don’t make any more excuses.
Don’t think this doesn’t affect you.
Don’t sit back and be silent.
Don’t think you can’t be part of the change.
Let’s all be part of the change.
From YouTube to Instagram, the spot rolled out across all Nike online platforms.
“Nike has a long history of standing against bigotry, hatred, and inequality in all forms,” a Nike spokeswoman said in a statement. “We hope that by sharing this film we can serve as a catalyst to inspire action against a deep issue in our society and encourage people to help shape a better future.”
The US media akso reports that an internal memo sent to Nike staffers on Friday, Nike president CEO John Donahue told employees he “can’t stop thinking about the individuals impacted” and mentioned Floyd, Arbery and Taylor by name.
“The horrible killings and racist actions serve as a sickening reminder of what too many people live through every day in America,” said Donahue. “It is absolutely wrong what’s happening in our communities, to our friends and family members.”
Outcome:
Within 72 hours the social spot had generated more than 20m social views across Nike’s channels alone: including 13.3m on Instagram, 6.5m on Twitter and 450K YouTube.
The spot was shared widely – even by arch rival adidas.
The majority of consumer sentiment was positive too: a survey by Ace Metrix found that a majority of consumers aged 16-to-49 found the Wieden & Kennedy spot ’empowering’.
Comment:
This simple, powerful spot sees Nike once again offer a masterclass in timely, brave and inspirational values-led brand marketing.
This certainly isn’t Nike’s first public stand against racism. In 2018, its award-winning 30th anniversary, Colin Kaepernick fronted ‘Dream Crazy’ campaign (see case study) backed the former NFL player’s #TakeTheKnee protest against police brutality and racial inequality with the memorable ‘Believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing everything” line.
Believe in something, even if it means sacrificing everything. #JustDoIt pic.twitter.com/SRWkMIDdaO
— Colin Kaepernick (@Kaepernick7) September 3, 2018
While in 2017 Nike released an ‘Equality’ (see case study) campaign during Black History Month featuring black athletes and actors talking about the equality in sports and parallels that of the rest the world.
This latest creative is even more direct than previous work in that it is a clear cut, direct ‘if you aren’t part of the solution, you are part of the problem’ call to action to everyone.
On first glance this is a radically different marketing approach when compared to Nike’s ongoing ‘You Can’t Stop Us’ pandemic response brand platform, but closer consideration reveals that both are powerful, values-based, consistent campaigns which show an understanding of contemporary socio-cultural realities, consumer sentiment and need.
Other notable sports-relevant marketing reactions to the protest include posts from sportswear brands such as Reebok, Under Armour and Adidas, and perhaps more surprisingly sports leagues such as the NFL (its as if they’ve finally admitted that Kaepernick right and the team owners were very wrong all along), and sports stars including Michael Jordan (arguably, it’s about time he made a public stand).
Links:
Nike
https://www.nike.com/
https://www.youtube.com/user/nike
https://www.instagram.com/nike/
https://twitter.com/nike
https://www.facebook.com/nike
Wieden + Kennedy, Portland
https://www.wk.com/about/office/portland/
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