Colin Kaepernick Nike campaign: Advert to run during opening game of NFL season

Colin Kaepernick will continue to be barred from suiting up to play for an NFL team, but when the season opens his face and voice will still dominate headlines thanks to a controversial advertisement that will play for all the fans tuning in.

Kapernick, who turned kneeling into political protest of police brutality and oppression, will be featured on Thursday in a Nike commercial urging viewers to meet their true potential no matter what others say.

In a clear nod to Kapernick’s sacrifice to take a knee, the advertising campaign has been premised on a simple line: Believe in Something. Even if it means sacrificing everything.

The advert that will play during the season opener between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Atlanta Falcons runs two minutes long, and shows athletes sing for greatness in several different sports and with various degrees of handicap.

“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,” the advertisement begins. “It’s a compliment.”

Throughout the advertisement — which does not mention the kneeling controversy, or the political cyclone that developed around the issue after President Donald Trump weighed in against the predominantly black athlete-led movement — Kaepernick can be heard give encouragement to strive for greatness. Do better than the best, he says.

The advert is a part of a controversial move for Nike, which decided to implicitly weigh into the kneeling issue by endorsing Kaepernick.

The world’s largest shoe and apparel brand went public with that endorsement with an ad that was published across social media channels on Monday. The very publication of the advert stirred controversy, with supporters praising the brand’s decision while opponents posted videos of them burning or destroying their Nike apparel.

In the advert, Kaepernick is featured alongside NBA star LeBron James, tennis champion Serena Williams, skateboarder Lacey Baker, New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr, and marathoner Eliud Kipchoge.

“Don’t become the best basketball player on the planet, be bigger than basketball,” Kaepernick says in a voice over of footage of James, who is known for activism in his community, speaking on a stage.

The advert also features inspirational athletes who have managed to achieve greatness in spite of physical difficulties. Those include NFL linebacker Shaquem Griffin — who is missing a hand — as well as legless wrestler Isaiah Bird, and wheelchair basketball player Megan Blunk.

The advert will also play during tennis, college football and Major League Baseball games or matches this week.

Nike recently signed a new multibillion dollar, 10-year deal with the NFL to remain the official apparel supplier of the league, and the company reportedly kept its intention of using Kaepernick during an advertising campaign from the league — even though the former quarterback has filed a collusion lawsuit against the league’s owners.