Colin Kaepernick's Nike Ad Wins 2019 Emmy for Outstanding Commercial
Nike's "Dream Crazy" commercial featuring former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick has won an Emmy.
The two-minute ad, which was released in September 2018 as part of the company's 30th anniversary "Just Do It" campaign, won a Creative Arts Emmy for outstanding commercial on Sunday. The spot features Kaepernick alongside other sports legends including Serena Williams and LeBron James.
In the commercial, the former 49ers quarterback, 31, narrates an inspiring message about the power of dreaming big and encourages fans to “believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing everything.”
The ad was instantly polarizing, sparking controversy with some threatening to boycott Nike due to its inclusion of Kaepernick. Others burned their Nike shoes in videos shared to social media, and a university in Missouri even dropped the brand following the ad's release.
Kaepernick began kneeling during the national anthem in August 2016 as a means of protesting racial inequality and police brutality. Dozens of other NFL players, as well as numerous other athletes across America, ultimately joined him. The protests grew during the 2017 season after President Donald Trump criticized NFL players who chose to follow suit. Trump said owners should "fire" NFL players who protest the anthem and referred to them as "son[s] of b------". Players responded by protesting en masse.
Kaepernick hasn't played since the 2016 season. In February, Kaepernick and former teammate, Eric Reid, settled a lawsuit alleging that the NFL had colluded to keep him off the field for their political activism.
