The return to work after Labor Day is never calm, and Nike roiled everyone's plan for a chill Tuesday when it announced over the weekend that Colin Kaepernick would be the star of its 30th-anniversary "Just Do It" campaign — hot on the heels of signing a 10-year deal with the NFL which ostracized him for peaceful protests last season.
Celebrities have already shouted their support for Nike in the days since. Serena Williamstweeted that she's "especially proud to be a part of the Nike family today." And Kathy Griffin cheered Kaepernick in a tweet as well.
VIDEO: Colin Kaepernick Becomes Face of Nike's 30th Anniversary 'Just Do It' Campaign
On the other end of the spectrum, some evidently anti-Civil Rights consumers are Big Mad, and are destroying their Nike merchandise to show it. A viral tweet showed one man cutting the Swoosh marks off of his Nike tube socks; another man evidently set his sneakers on fire while he was still wearing them — though none of this really hurts the brand, since these people have already paid for the clothing they are damaging. But, hey, everyone's allowed to peacefully protest in their own way, right? Now some are threatening to boycott Nike, possibly without understanding just how far the brand's reach really stretches. I came across one Instagram commenter who threatened to only wear Converse from here on out, and couldn't help but laugh: Converse is owned by Nike Inc. — and there are others. Read on for a few more ways to make your purchases count.
