“There was speculation that the Nike/Kaepernick campaign would lead to a drop in sales, but our data over the last week does not support that theory,” Hetal Pandya, co-founder of Edison Trends, said.
The quarterback began protesting police brutality against African Americans by “taking a knee” during the national anthem in 2016. There was a huge backlash from people who believe that his actions were disrespectful, but others did join in his protest.
Nike’s new ad comes during a time when customers are looking for brands to be more socially conscious, so it is possible that this bump in sales comes from customers seeking to support Kaepernick’s cause. However, news of his involvement in the ad campaign only broke on Monday, and the ad debuted online Wednesday, so it is unclear how sales will be impacted long-term, but for the short-term, Nike is seeing a boost.
Calls for Nike to drop its sponsorship of Kaepernick, who has been with the brand since 2011, began two years ago.
Shares of Nike shed 2.3 percent this week, but are up 28.9 percent since January. It currently has a market cap of $128.8 billion.
Nike said the campaign will also include other athletes such as Serena Williams, LeBron James, Lacey Baker, Shaquem Griffin and Odell Beckham Jr.
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