- In September Nike made Kaepernick the face of its latest ‘Just Do It’ campaign
- His Nike ad, ‘Dream Crazy,’ is now being nominated for an Emmy award in the Outstanding Commercial 2019 category
- In 2016, the 31-year-old became the first athlete to kneel during The Star-Spangled Banner
- Since 2016, Kaepernick has not played an NFL game
- The ad is socially and politically charged and features professionals such as Serena Williams and Lebron James
In September, NFL star Colin Kaepernick, who many have criticized as being anti-American after kneeling during the National Anthem, released a Nike ad, ‘Dream Crazy,’ which is now being nominated for an Emmy award.
Colin Kaepernick narrates the commercial ‘Dream Crazy,’ showing young athletes striving to be the best version of themselves
The two-minute collection of stories celebrates not only diversity but also encourages everyone with dreams of greatness and goals that may seem insurmountable to ‘just do it,’ which is Nike’s mantra.
It features inspirational professionals such as Serena Williams, Lebron James, and basketball phenom and wheelchair athlete Megan Blunk, who took gold in the Rio de Janeiro Olympics in 2016.
‘Dream Crazy’ features athletes such as basketball phenom and wheelchair athlete Megan Blunk, who took gold in the Rio de Janeiro Olympics in 2016
Kaepernick narrates the ad, and while it is motivational, it still caused quite a commotion due to the former San Francisco 49er quarterback’s role in it.
In 2016, the 31-year-old became the first athlete to kneel during The Star-Spangled Banner to protest against police brutality against black people, which caused a nationwide debate about whether or not that was anti-American and the significance of standing up for the American flag.
Kaepernick, who has not played a game since 2016, has not spoken to the media publicly since opting out of his contract with San Francisco and becoming a free agent in 2017.
In 2016, the 31-year-old became the first athlete to kneel during the National Anthem
However, that has not stopped Nike from teaming up with the athlete, who is one of the faces of the brand. ‘We believe Colin Kaepernick is one of the most inspirational athletes of this generation, who has leveraged the power of sport to help move the world forward,’ Nike’s Sandra Carreon-John told USA Today Sports in an email in February.
Still, they have bumped heads recently. In honor of July 4th, Nike had planned to release sneakers that featured an early version of the American flag – known as the Betsy Ross flag – on the heels.
When Kaepernick saw photos of the sneakers, he contacted Nike and complained, arguing it was offensive to use a symbol that stemmed back to an era of slavery in the United States. Shortly after Nike abruptly cancelled the release of the sneaker.
Meanwhile, ‘Dream Crazy’ is nominated for an Emmy in the Outstanding Commercial 2019 category. Along with Nike, Wieden + Kennedy and production company Park Pictures are also up for the award. The competition also includes ads from major companies including Apple and Netflix.
The 2019 Emmys take place Sunday, Sept. 22.
source:dailymail.co.uk
