Last year, global fashion brand Nike released a commercial to celebrate its 30th anniversary. The commercial featured controversial American NFL star Colin Kaepernick, NBA superstar Lebron James, Serena Williams and other sports stars. The ad was narrated by Kaepernick, who in 2016 championed a movement to take a knee during the national anthem before NFL games to protest racial inequality and police brutality — most Nigerians can relate to this.
The commercial was so emotionally compelling that we had to write about it.
In case you are wondering why the ad was such a big deal, this should provide clarity; Nike leveraged the feeling of ‘Redemption’ to tell an emotional story of bravery and gallantry with the sole purpose of activating our minds to damn the consequences and stand for what’s right.
Well, this commercial just won Nike an Emmy for outstanding commercial at the 2019 Creative Arts Emmy Awards, the brand’s first Emmy award since 2002.
After the release of the commercial, conservatives in America started a protest, some even went as far as burning their Nike shoes, but guess what, Nike’s stock hit an all-time high and the brand also gained tens of thousands of Instagram followers.
This is a commercial that won hearts; it was real and genuine, emotional and relatable. Sometimes, “believing in something even if it means sacrificing everything” may be what you need to thrive.
