A Brief History of Nike Using Advertising to Address Social Issues

It's nothing new for the brand or Wieden + Kennedy

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Nike’s new campaign celebrating the 30th anniversary of Just Do It—which technically launched the previous week with Serena Williams-starring spot “Voice of Belief“—blew up faster than any ad in recent memory on Monday due largely to the presence of NFL free agent Colin Kaepernick.

A single image of his face quickly led to an almost predictable round of social media outrage, protest, boycott threats and, of course, satire as analysts weighed in on the potential risks and benefits to Nike’s business.

Yet

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