Colin Kaepernick’s “Dream Crazy” Nike ad has been nominated for an Emmy.
In the advertisement, which sparked backlash when it was released last year, Kaepernick says, “believe in something, even if it means sacrificing everything.” The spot was nominated in the Outstanding Commercial category
No matter who wins, the victor will likely be “woke,” given the fact that other advertisements in the category include two from Apple and one from Netflix.
Controversial spokesman
Nike inflamed controversy in September when Kaepernick became the face of the company’s “Just Do It” advertising campaign. The video advertisement, which spotlights the “sacrifice everything” slogan from an earlier black-and-white print ad that featured Kaepernick, is narrated by Kaepernick and features famous athletes like Serena Williams, LeBron James and Megan Rapinoe.
It also highlights amateurs, including disabled and Muslim athletes. The advertisement ends with Kaepernick saying, “don’t ask if your dreams are crazy, ask if they’re crazy enough.”
While the message of the advertisement may be positive on a personal level, it prompted pushback because of the political subtext and Nike’s decision to partner with the former San Francisco 49ers quarterback and activist, whose political activism has been a flashpoint since his kneeling protests of the national anthem started in 2016. Kaepernick has said that he started kneeling to protest injustice against black Americans.
The “sacrifice everything” ad elicited criticism from President Trump and some conservative protesters who destroyed their Nike gear to make their displeasure known, but despite the controversy, Nike’s sales reportedly increased.
Kaepernick, who has been a free agent since 2017, has since become a genuine power broker of “woke” corporatism. The former quarterback was in the news again this month after Nike stopped selling a Betsy Ross-themed July 4th sneaker, the Air Max 1 USA. Kaepernick complained that the shoe evoked America’s slave-holding past, and Nike obliged by pulling it from production at the last minute.
Kaepernick also tweeted a controversial message on July 4th spurning Independence Day in which he quoted the slave-turned-abolitionist Frederick Douglass.
Politically correct pats on the back
In the left’s version of America, honors and praise should go to those who denounce the United States and its “racism.” Award shows have become little more than politically correct displays of self-congratulation, and this year’s Emmy Awards don’t seem to be an exception.
Kaepernick’s ad will compete with four other ads, including two from Apple. The company’s CEO Tim Cook has said that Big Tech companies have a moral obligation to de-platform “hate.”
The MacBook ad, “Make Something Wonderful,” has no in-your-face political message, while the iPhone ad, “Don’t Mess with Mother,” celebrates the majesty of Mother Nature.
Netflix, another bastion of “woke capitalism,” will also face off with Kaepernick. Netflix’s ad, a “Great Day In Hollywood, celebrates the rise of identity politics in the film industry.
Sandy Hook Promises’ video, “Points of View,” is filmed from the first person point of view of a school shooter. The video shows high school students having a normal day at school before the attacker pulls out a gun. Sandy Hook Promise is a non-profit formed by the families of victims of the Sandy Hook massacre that looks to raise awareness about gun violence and prevent school shootings. While the group is not explicitly a gun control group, it has supported some gun control policies.
The winner of last year’s Emmy for Outstanding Commercial was P & G’s, “The Talk,” which dealt with themes of racism.
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