For the 30th Anniversary of “Just Do It”, Nike wanted to inspire a new generation of young athletes and youth overall to realize their potential through sport. Nike, the number one sports brand, wanted to bring to life its iconic idea and line, “Just Do It” in a fresh way, relevant to youth athletes as well as culture at large.

To inspire the next generation of athletes to truly realize their potential, we wanted to celebrate the examples of current athletes who, despite facing obstacles of various sorts, never gave up on their dreams – the sort of dreams many people might think are ridiculous or even crazy. So we celebrated real athletes that have ignored conventional thinking and as a result have pushed the world forward. And because no athlete has dreamed crazier than Colin Kaepernick, we made him the face of the entire campaign.

Our idea was to celebrate “Crazy Dreams” and the athletes that have turned their backs on convention including Colin Kaepernick, the controversial NFL quarterback who knelt during the national anthem to protest police brutality. This move ignited debate across the country and throughout the world, ultimately inspiring millions to come to the brand’s defense in the face of backlash.

The campaign immediately ignited debate across the country and throughout the world. But while some people and news networks launched a boycott against the Nike and burned their shoes, millions came to the brand’s defense and praised the campaign for being on “the right side of history”. The campaign saw Nike’s stock price rise to an all-time high and created $6 billion in brand value, making it the most successful campaign in the brand’s history.

In 2018, youth in the U.S. were coming of age during a time of deep cultural and political unrest in America. They were aware of all the issues facing their generation (social injustice, political uncertainty, etc.) and were both vocal and action-oriented. They were busy getting after whatever it is they wanted for themselves, their friends, and their generation, and they saw sport as a yardstick for their motivation and energy, and for how they could make a mark in the rest of their lives. Moreover, they saw that sport, particularly through athletes like Colin Kaepernick, had the potential to transcend the field of play and enter the national cultural debate.