Nike’s online sales, after a brief dip, have risen 31 per cent since announcing the controversial choice of Colin Kaepernick as the face of the company’s 30th anniversary “Just Do It” campaign, according to a digital commerce research company
Edison Trends claims it determined Nike’s sales increased 31 per cent after analyzing data from three million anonymous digital e-receipts in the U.S.
On Monday, Nike announced that Colin Kaepernick would be the face of their 30th anniversary “Just Do It” campaign, unveiling an ad featuring Kaepernick’s face that read, “Believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing everything.”
Kaepernick, formerly the quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers, was a controversial choice due to his notoriety for kneeling during the national anthem at NFL games. Nike’s shares fell 3.9 per cent on Tuesday after the announcement.
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The unveil incited a storm of reaction, including from U.S. president Donald Trump who tweeted his objection, saying, “What was Nike thinking?”
Trump has been critical of NFL players kneeling during the national anthem in the past.
The public also reacted to the ad campaign, with some destroying their Nike products.
Nike’s increase in sales is nearly double the increase during the same time period last year, which saw a 17 per cent increase in sales, according to Edison Trends.
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Nike aired the first commercial featuring Kaepernick during the NFL’s season kickoff game Thursday night.
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