BEAVERTON, OREGON – After former 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick announced he will be the face of the 30th anniversary of the “Just Do It’ campaign, consumers began calling for a boycott of the sports gear giant. Nike stock dropped about 3 percent Tuesday and analysts blame the stock decline on the boycott, which took wings on social media.
Kaepernick began the NFL protest and kneel movement during the National Anthem in 2016. Last year he opted out of his 49ers contract.
Ed Clemente / MGN
He filed a grievance against the NFL, alleging the NFL is colluding to keep him out of the league, despite rejecting the San Francisco contract and being interviewed by at least one other NFL team. Last week, an independent arbitrator ruled there is enough evidence for his case to go to trial.
The ad, as posted on Twitter by Kaepernick, shows his face and reads “Believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing everything.”
Social media was filled with thousands of calls to boycott Nike, with several doctored versions of his photo, including one of former NFL player Pat Tillman, who left his NFL career in his prime to enlist in the military and was killed in combat.
Critics said the new ad campaign offended them and called for people to no longer support the company by buying its products.
