Nike has built a quick ad campaign on the controversy surrounding the firing of radio personality Don Imus.
The print ad ran as a full-page in Sunday’s New York Times, and the message is repeated on Nike.com
Does this come across as courageous way to focus on lingering issues of racism and sexism, or as exploitation by a cynical marketer?
Misha Cornes
Comments
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Is this the same Nike that exploits children in factories in developing countries?
Misha – this is interesting. I found this ad while relaxing with the Times on my Sunday afternoon. I took a few snapshots of it and blogged about it on my own site. I am still not sure how I feel about this. Just not sure they are really providing any extra value to the conversation. Yeah you can send the ad to a friend. But I was hoping for more. Maybe there will be. I will hold out hope.
No apparel manufacturing company is perfect, but I think Nike’s problems with sweatshops are a couple of years old.
eh… bandwagoning, is more like it.
Every brand is a living thing – made up of the collective psyches of it’s marketers and demographic. It can, and may, have an outburst.
And yes, both Daniel and Misha have a point, but seriously – no one likes to think about 6 y/o’s working 19 hour days in factories for 10¢ but at the heart of it, we are to blame. We want the product for as little as possible… so in essence, we drove Nike into the shops. Don’t blame Nike for responding to simple supply & demand.
If you want to effect change, then… change. Buy a humane shoe for $600.