"For once, just don't do it."
Nike's iconic slogan has always been "Just Do It." It encourages athletes to go for it and to not hold back. Shia LaBeouf infamously said it best. However, they recently released a video with a major adjustment to their slogan.
The video ends with "For once, just don't do it." The video was released as a support for the Black Lives Matter movement, which speaks out against police brutality and racial profiling of black Americans. This movement has resurfaced after a Minneapolis police officer killed George Floyd, after Floyd was accused of using counterfeit bills.
Nike is one of several brands to have spoken out in support of the Black Lives Matter movement and against racism, however; this is not the first time they've taken a political stance. In 2018, they did a campaign with Colin Kaepernick, who controversially was released from the NFL after he kneeled during the National Anthem, as a way of protesting racism. Nike CEO, John Donahoe, released a statement to Yahoo Finance, saying, "Team, As we’ve watched racial tragedies expose prejudice and injustice in our cities over these past few weeks, I can’t stop thinking about the individuals impacted: Ahmaud Arbery. Christian Cooper. Breonna Taylor. George Floyd.
The horrible killings and racist actions serve as a sickening reminder of what too many people live through every day in America. It is absolutely wrong what’s happening in our communities, to our friends and family members. These tragedies are not unique to the U.S. Far from it –- we see violent incidents in countries all over the world, fueled by hatred and ignorance. Let me be as clear as I can: Nike is opposed to bigotry. We are opposed to hatred and inequality in all its forms, indirect and overt. While Nike cannot solve injustice, I believe we have a responsibility to work toward addressing it to the best of our ability."
Report: Anna Bechtel
At the rise of Covid-19 many of us first questioned the timeline of fashion week and would we see the regular calendar continue - the question weighed over many of us for months! It was refreshing to see design houses and designers across the globe take advantage of the uncertainty and plow into production mode - thus my interest in Jerri Reid New York - The Black Designer based in Brooklyn New York wow’d instagram with his latest collection paying homage to the Black Is King film which debuted earlier this year in July. I was taken aback at quick of a turn round the young designer produced and released his well crafted designs reflecting some of the films most memorable moments.