Nike releases new ad addressing racism in America

Nike released an ad Friday night imploring viewers not to pretend there’s not a problem in America while protests occurred in cities nationwide following the death in Minnesota of George Floyd after a white officer pressed a knee into his neck while taking him into custody.

The simple video shared on Twitter contains lettering that begins, “For Once, Don’t Do It… Don’t pretend there’s not a problem in America… Don’t turn your back on racism.” It had more than 35,000 retweets and two million views as of Saturday morning, CNBC reported.

The company worked with its longtime agency Wieden + Kennedy Portland on the video.

“Nike has a long history of standing against bigotry, hatred and inequality in all forms,” a Nike said in a statement about the ad. “We hope that by sharing this film we can serve as a catalyst to inspire action against a deep issue in our society and encourage people to help shape a better future.”

Nike’s athletic apparel rival Adidas also shared Nike’s video.

Nike’s “Dream Crazy” campaign in 2018 for the 30th anniversary of “Just Do It” featured former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick. The football player gained attention after he began protesting police brutality against African Americans by “taking a knee” during the national anthem in 2016.

The brand has also used social media to urge consumers to stay inside during the pandemic using simple spots.