The way Kaepernick poses shows that situations must be approached with confidence and poise. It displays the close ranged face shot which shows power and a sense of fearlessness. It is a simple and up-close face shot that alludes to various sports’ characteristics of dominance and strength. When taking the first look at the ad, the audience is presented with a stoic Kaepernick. With this simplicity Nike’s attempt to commodify the politics associated with Kaepernick through the advertisement seem to be working. Nike seems to be communicating their knowledge of the political climate within our nation through this ad. The usage of the colors drew attention to the defining component of the advertisement and it contrasts the typical belief that situations are not merely black and white. Nike took a minimalist approach with this advertisement by cutting out all of the frivolous and idiosyncratic distractions and essentially having the consumers focus on the message they were conveying. Despite Nike’s usual vibrant and graphic ads, the featured ad with Colin Kaepernick is presented in an intense and stark black and white photograph. Nike selecting Kaepernick in one of their most controversial advertisements was a calculated move. This resulted in teams no longer offering him contracts after the 2016 term. Following this incident, half of the public deemed Kaepernick’s actions a blatant show of disrespect. The reason behind this protest was to draw attention to the racial injustice and police brutality issues. Kaepernick, ex 49ers player has been labeled a polarizing figure since 2016, when he denied to stand for the national anthem. Ultimately, advocacy from companies of pop culture topics and political issues enlighten the public and initiates to societal change.

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