Nike pushes on with 'Dream Crazy' ad starring Colin Kaepernick amidst furore

Following the recent kerfuffle over Nike selecting former National Football League player Colin Kaepernick (pictured) to be the face of its 30th anniversary "Just Do It" campaign, the brand has pushed on, launching a new short film titled "Dream Crazy" narrated by Kaepernick.According to Nike, "Dream Crazy" focuses on a collection of stories that represent athletes who are household names and those who should be. All their stories have a common thread, which is to leverage the power of sport to move the world forward. The spot aims to provide encouragement to everyone who has crazy dreams and goals that may seem insurmountable."If people say your dreams are crazy, if they laugh at what you think you can do, good. Stay that way, because what non-believers fail to understand is that calling a dream 'crazy' is not an insult. It's a compliment," Kaepernick said in the ad."Don't believe you have to be like anybody to be somebody," he added, encouraging consumers to be the best in what they do and believe in something, even if it means sacrificing everything. The spot concludes with Kaepernick looking into the camera saying "So, don't ask if your dreams are crazy. Ask if they're crazy enough.""Dream Crazy" is the second film in the "Just Do It" series, with the first one celebrating Serena Williams' return to tennis after giving birth. Among the list of athletes featured in the film are of course, tennis player Serena Williams, wheelchair athlete Megan Blunk, Ironman participant Charlie Jabaley and the US Soccer Women's National Team. Kaepernick, who is allegedly a controversial figure in the US for kneeling during the national anthem at NFL games to protest against police brutality, also makes an appearance in the spot.In response to the ad, US President Donald Trump tweeted his displeasure, calling the ad "hard to watch". He added, "Nike is getting absolutely killed with anger and boycotts. I wonder if they had any idea that it would be this way?"Just like the NFL, whose ratings have gone WAY DOWN, Nike is getting absolutely killed with anger and boycotts. I wonder if they had any idea that it would be this way? As far as the NFL is concerned, I just find it hard to watch, and always will, until they stand for the FLAG!— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 5, 2018 Since the announcement of Kaepernick as the face of the campaign, several consumers took to Twitter to share pictures and videos of them burning their Nike sports shoes and even cutting the Nike logo off their socks. Hashtags such as “JustBurnIt” and “BoycottNike” have also surfaced on Twitter, with some netizens suggesting other suitable national icons for the Nike’s campaign, including Martin Luther King Jr.[gallery link="file" ids="234524,234527,234525,234526,234528"]