Prior to the release of the advertisement, Kaepernick had been involved in an on-field issues that attracted the attention of the media. During a 2016 game, Kaepernick was noticed sitting down during the playing of “The Star Spangled Banner”. In a post-game interview, Kaepernick quickly stated that he was not disrespecting the country, but voicing his disapproval on the treatment of black people and other people of color.
Colin Kaerpernick became a symbol of protest. In a time when police brutally became the dominant display of the media, he stood against it. His popularity off the football field grew, but so did his hate. Despite of understanding that his football career might be affected, he continued to stand for what he believed. Coincidentally, the well known slogan “Just do it” appears to be his motto.
Danesi states, a symbol “is something in which everyone has an intuitive understanding”. In the poster designed by Nike, the symbol is kaepernick and the understanding is his belief to fight for the lives of people of color despite of the consequences. The action of taking a knee during the national anthem was the Kaepernick’s first sacrifice. His courage to depict his message behind taking a knee was his second sacrifice. The final sacrifice came when he was dismissed from his job as an NFL quarterback.
Nike did not choose Kaepernick, because he was protesting an issue that is prevalent in today’s society: oppression of the minority. Nike chose Kaepernick as their new symbol, for he stood behind his belief despite of sacrificing everything. It seems to be a match made in heaven. A company whose slogan is “Just do it” partners with one of the first people to publically display their belief without fear of sacrifice.
The poster could be broken down into several ideas that comeback to one single word, belief. The signifier (symbol): Kaepernick’s face. A face of an athlete of color that signifies the choice to kneel down for his belief. A belief that begun as a disapproval of treatment against black people. A belief that grew to be a part of greater movement, Black Lives Matter. A belief that brought attention to the political issue of protest.
The partnership between kaepernick and Nike went further than just the issue of fighting for the oppressed minority. It is fighting for the objection against police brutality, the Black Lives Matters movement, and the right to protest. All issues that would not have been discussed if Kaepernick had not chosen to take a knee during the national anthem. His belief was greater than his fear of losing everything, thus he just did it.
The poster designed by Nike not only displays Kaepernick’s belief, but provides the flexibility for people to fight for what they believe too. Semiotics helps us learn the effects beyond the first level. For Kaepernick, the first level was to kneel down. The second level to fight for the oppressed minorities. The third level was to become part of a larger movement (Black Lives Matter) and lastly to become a symbol for the right to protest. The motto is to “Just do it”.
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