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Just Do It (stylized as JUST DO IT.)[1] is a trademark of shoe company Nike, Inc., and one of the core components of Nike's brand. The campaign includes celebrity ambassadors, local events, partnered documentaries, an online sports-related news website, and merchandise. They are known for their Just Do It Series, which is a collection of video advertisements that feature amateur and professional athletes as part of the campaign. In 2017, the brand was at a market value of $27.5 billion. In 2016, it was ranked 18th on Forbes’ most valuable brands, the highest of any sportswear company. In many Nike-related situations, "Just Do It" appears alongside the Nike logo, known as the Swoosh. According to Nike, the slogan has been a source of motivation for athletes across all sports. It is meant to convey Nike's belief in "the power of sport to move the world" and by highlighting the drive to pursue goals and dreams through overcoming forces that restrict success.

Campaign
'''The campaign embodies Nike's image as an innovative American icon associated with success through the combination of professional athletes and motivational slogans emphasising sportsmanship and health. This led to customers associating their purchases with the prospect of achieving greatness.'''The campaign is meant to encompass Nike's "pillars of beliefs" Nike claims that "we use our brand to stand up for our values". Their mission statement is to "bring inspiration and motivation to every athlete in the world", emphasising that any person with a body is considered an athlete. As another pillar, Nike strives in instilling a positive impact within local communities. They establish and maintain their team to be inclusive and empowered by the diverse experiences of each member.

'''The slogan was coined in 1988 at an advertising agency meeting. The founder of Wieden+Kennedy agency, Dan Wieden credits the inspiration for his "Just Do It" Nike slogan to Gary Gilmore’s last words: "Let's do it."[2]. The "Just Do It" campaign allowed Nike to further increase its share of the North American domestic sport-shoe business from 18% to 43%, (from $877 million to $9.2 billion in worldwide sales) from 1988 to 1998[3]. The "Just Do It" campaign launched in 1988 was highly successful with the Age selecting the campaign as one of the top two taglines of the 20th century with it being both "universal and intensely personal". [4] While Reebok was directing their campaign at aerobics during the fitness craze of the 1980s, Nike responded with "a tough, take no prisoners ad campaign". One of the campaign's objectives was to target all Americans regardless of age, gender or physical fitness level which led to Nike becoming worn as a fashion statement, not just as fitness gear (Nearly 80% of Nike’s running shoes are not worn for their intended purpose). Nike’s fundamental objective was to represent sneakers as a fashion statement to consumers, especially females, teens and males aged 18–40.''' The campaign slogan is printed on much of Nike's apparel and merchandise. As well, the "Just Do It" campaign went out to a range of media outlets including advertisements, merchandise, outdoor billboards, print media, and graffiti art.

Nike heavily utilises the strategy of celebrity endorsement of famous athletes within it's Just Do It campaign. Nike spends around $10 billion a year on celebrity endorsement deals. Since the emergence of the campaign in 1988, Nike enlisted numerous notable athletes in order to attract customers and promote the image of Nike as being reliable to not only everyday customers but professional athletes. Among the famous athletes are Tiger Woods, Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Maria Sharapova, Michelle Wie, and Lance Armstrong. Proving their diversity and inclusivity of athletes representing political notions of resistance within the context of race, gender, and ability, other ambassadors include Shaquem Griffin, the first- one handed NFL linebacker in history, and Lacey Baker, the first openly queer woman to join Nike's 2017 skateboarding team.

Local Events
Within its campaign, Nike occasionally reaches out to local communities by hosting events, primarily in North America On October 5, 2018, Nike held a "Just Do It Toronto: Become a Coach or Member" event at Central Tech High School in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The event offered training workshops that provided tools and techniques for competitive running for the purpose of reaching out young runners and athletes.

Controversies
Nike was faced with criticism by Ernst & Young surrounding the campaign, with the pay of elite athletes compared to those in overseas shoe factories, and for violating the minimum wage in their operations in Vietnam.[6][unreliable source?] [7]. Despite their attempts to be a company of fair trade labour, Nike uses labour outsourcing into producing their shoes and products from sweatshops located in China, Vietnam, and Indonesia.

Nike had been facing allegations of sweatshops and child labour since 2005. Indonesia is Nike’s third largest manufacturing base with 140,000 workers at 14 factories. Reports from the plant in Sukabumi, Indonesia claim that work supervisors have been throwing shoes at workers. Allegations describe the work environment as abusive and harmful, in which certain cases report that the supervisors have been slapping and kicking the factory workers as well as mentally abusing them through derogatory name-calling. The 10,000 workers in the Pou Chen plant in Indonesia only make around 50 cents an hour. In 2009, workers reported getting fired for taking a sick leave despite presenting the necessary medical documentation. Nike executive, Hannah Jones, reported that at the PT Amara Factory near Jakarta, Indonesia, six female workers were ordered to stand out in the blazing sun after failing to meet their quota of completing 60 dozen pairs of shoes related to the campaign.

Mass faintings were reported in Cambodia as a result of workers employed on short-term contracts working in conditions of extremely high temperatures within 10-hour days. Nike confirmed that 360 workers collapsed from the factory conditions in November 2017. By the end of that year, more than 500 workers were hospitalised. In a set of interviews conducted by Danwatch, a Danish investigative media group, workers reported that unlike other plants that limit their facility temperatures to 32 degrees Celsius, plants in Cambodia do not have a limit so their temperature often reaches 37 degrees Celsius. As well, workers reported being pressured into working overtime with the hopes of getting their contracts renewed.

In 2017, a rally was held in Honduras by factory workers that were recently laid off to expose Nike’s treatment of their employers. College students across the United States soon followed suit by formulating small rallies outside Nike stores. The United Students Against Sweatshops (USAS) organised the movement,” Global Call to Action Against Nike” to further expose the treatment and conditions at Nike’s factories. On Saturday, July 28, 2018, activists stood in front of a large Nike store in Boston, U.S.A, known as Niketown in protest. Protesters manipulated the “just do it” slogan to connote that the company will do whatever it takes to generate revenue, even if it is at the cost of outsourcing labour in which employees are working in poor conditions. In a following statement, Nike claimed that it was not their decision to leave the factory in Honduras. They claimed that the decision was made by Gildan Inc., an apparel company that took over the facility.

Nike’s corporate policy barred the entry of any investigators entering their factories, however, Workers Rights Consortium managed to access the plant that manufactures the campaign-related merchandise in Hansae, Vietnam in 2016. The watchdog group documented cases of “wage theft, forced overtime, restrictions on the workers’ use of toilets, exposure to toxic solvents, and padlocked exit doors”. As a result of their work conditions, the group reported that workers were falling unconscious at their sewing machines. The findings were then published in a public report known as Workers Rights Consortium -Factory Assessment Hansae Vietnam Co. LTD.

Just Do It Series (JDI Series)
Nike's other notorious marketing strategy lies within their 2-3 minute short films that are part of their "Just Do It" series. This series, launched in 1988, features professional and amateur athletes. . Their news source website is where their short films are released as well as articles regarding the release of their limited edition apparel, interviews of their ambassadors, stories of athletes recognised within local communities, and news about the release of their documentary specials, such as Breaking,and Breaking 2. Additions to the JDI series include, the "Touch of Gold Short", released in September 2005 and features Brazilian-born soccer player,Ronaldinho, and "Voice of belief" which was released in August 2018 and stars U.S Open tennis champion, Serena Williams.

Brand storytelling is an essential element in the campaign’s success. Nike uses empathetic marketing as a strategy for their advertisements by establishing a personal connection with their target audience through emotional branding. The immediate emotional response from the shorts is intended to inspire a motivational feeling in the customers that attaches to their own personal values and desires. Nike utilises emotional branding to ensure they are seen by consumers as a more iconic brand than their competitors, such as Lululemon and Adidas, whose effects are growing considerably in mainstream culture since their concern is becoming too mainstream.

With the launch of their 30th anniversary of the campaign, Vice President of the brand in North America, Gino Fisanotti, aimed to revamp its meaning "to appeal to a new generation". According to Fisanotti, the newest version of the campaign is meant to speak to youth between the age of 15-17 years. The most recent addition to the JDI series is "Dream Crazy" which was released in September 2018.

Dream Crazy
Dream Crazy was released on September 03, 2018. Within its first three days of release, the video had hit more than 26 million views on YouTube. It features professional and amateur athletes, who all "use the power of sport to move the world forward". According to Nike, the video is meant to "provide engagement to everyone who has crazy dreams and goals that may seem insurmountable". It features non-conventional and amateur athletes such as Megan Bunk, a wheel chair athlete, and Isaiah Bird, a wrestler despite the loss of his legs due to amelia. It also features professional athletes, such as NFL player, Odell Beckham Jr., and NBA player, LeBron James. It shows athletes overcoming external barriers and challenging social conventions so that they may continue to dominate in their athletic field. The ad is narrated by Colin Kaepernick, a former quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers and social activist.

Kaepernick’s most controversial line in the short, “Believe in something, even if it means sacrificing everything” was a tweet he also posted on his personal account on September 3, 2018. His tweet gained Nike $43 million dollars in media exposure. In 2011, Kaepernick was signed by Nike as a campaign endorser; however, he had not been used until Dream Crazy. With this ad, Nike aimed to target audiences of Generation Z, specifically young people of colour that uphold liberal ideals and live in urban areas. The ad was mostly supported by the younger generations that uphold such progressive ideals. The ad generated a lot of discussion as it was viewed as highly political and focused on activism that advocated for social justice.

Nike’s online sales grew 31% between September 2, 2018 and September 4, 2018, as a result of the campaign. As well, comments regarding Nike on social media rose by 1678%. Mentions of Kaepernick on social media platforms rose by 362,280%.

On Thursday, October 25, 2018, Nike released their exclusive Kaepernick clothing line which included a black long sleeve shirt that read Kaepernick’s controversial statement on the sleeve. The line sold out of the shirts online within hours of the release. Among the celebrity supports was LeBron James, who was seen wearing the shirt while travelling to a Lakers pre-season game on Thursday, October 4, 2018.

Colin Kaepernick
Kaepernick is known for his protests of racial injustice during football game appearances which launched a movement across the NFL. On August 14, 2016, he was the first player to sit during the national anthem before a pre-season exhibition game against the Houston Texans. He then began to kneel during the anthems in protest of racial injustice and police brutality. When asked about his behaviour on Bleacher Report on August 15, 2018, Kaepernick replied, “I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag or country that oppresses black people and people of colour. To me, this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way”. Some celebrities displayed their support in Nike’s partnership with Kaepernick. During the 70th annual Emmy Awards on September 17, 2018, actress and comedian, Jennifer Lewis, arrived dressed in a bright red Nike sweatshirt with custom Swarovski jewels to state her support in Kaepernick’s protests.

On August 28, 2017, Kapernick released a statement about the protest, saying, “I have great respect for the men and women that have fought for this country. I have family, I have friends that have gone and fought for this country. And they fight for freedom, they fight for the people, they fight for liberty and justice, for everyone. That’s not happening. People are dying in vain because this country isn’t holding their end of the bargain up, as far as giving freedom and justice, liberty to everybody”. On September 24, 2017, Donald Trump, President of the United States, targeted athletes protesting in the same manner for allegedly denouncing their patriotism to the country. In a tweet, he argued that they should be fired or suspended. Kaepernick was not signed to a team in 2017 and has not since played football. Kaepernick intended to pursue a lawsuit against the NFL claiming that the teams and ownership colluded against him to ensure the eradication of his candidacy in the NFL playing roster due to his protest and its subsequent backlash.

Controversies
Most of the backlash from this ad revolves around Kaepernick and his political history in the NFL. In  the United States, many consumers that did not agree with Nike’s political standing, expressed their outrage through boycotting the brand by creating footage of them burning their purchased merchandise and cutting the logos off. They then uploaded footage on social media and spread the content using the hashtag s “#justdon’t”, “#justburnit”, and “#Nikeboycott”. Other clips of footage showed bonfires of already purchased Nike merchandise and products being torn apart before being thrown in the trash as a demonstration of consumer’s patriotism to the United States. Among the boycotting was John Rich, an American country musician from the country act Big and Rich. On September 24, 2018, he posted an image on Twitter of his stage sound operator’s white Nike socks with the swoosh logo cut off. In his tweet he expressed his new customer solidarity with Nike’s competitor, Reebok.

On June 04, 2018, U.S President Donald Trump, denounced Kaepernick’s protest in a tweet, claiming that “players who kneel during the national anthem to protest racial injustice and inequality are being unpatriotic and disrespectful”.

Op-eds written by Clay Travis in the September 2018 edition of U.S.A. Today claim that Nike’s only use of politics is as a selling point.

Fox News at 8 pm host, Tucker Carlson, shared his disgust with the ad during a commentator segment on September 04, 2018, claiming that the ad was an attack on the United States. Carlson argued that the act of sitting during the national anthem is a way of creating a generalised allegation on the country that is destructive to society. He claimed that such an allegation is impossible to rebut and was only done with the purpose of making money for Kaepernick and Nike.

In his Behind the Scenes segment on September 05,2018, Trevor Noah, comedian and host of The Daily Show, challenged Nike’s core beliefs in relation to their partnership with Kaepernick. In his short, Noah claimed that people should not “put their alignment behind brands”. Noah expressed his concern of consumers being uncritical towards corporations with political stances. He reminded the audience that the sole purpose of corporations is to make money and that Nike may have bandwagonned onto protests of social injustice and activism thinking it would be profitable for them.

Touch of Gold
Touch of Gold is an edition to the Just Do It series, starring Brazilian soccer player, Ronaldhino. Released in September 2005, it was the first video on YouTube to reach 1 million views and was notably considered the “video that broke the internet”. Ronaldhino was a player on the Brazilian soccer team which won the 2002 FIFA World Cup. Due to his efforts, he won the FIFA World Player of the Year Award in 2004 and 2005 which is the highest individual honour of the sport. The ad was used to release Ronaldhino’s line of gold and white Tiempo Legend cleats entitled Touch of Gold. The video shows a gold suitcase being delivered to Ronaldhino that contained a pair of Nike Gold soccer cleats. After trying them on, Ronaldhino is seen using them through his drills and kicking a soccer ball all the way to the crossbar of the net and having it rebound to his chest multiple times.

On September 2, 2015, Nike released an updated version of the cleat to commemorate its 10th anniversary. The update of the shoe is the golden heel part of the cleat. The cleat was classified as a limited edition product; only 3000 pairs were manufactured with each pair was individually numbered to legitimise its contribution to the accumulated total.