Visited the Nike flagship in Portland and walked out feeling different about the whole Colin Kaepernick thing

I used to think that Nike using Kaepernick back in 2018 was just a cheap PR stunt. Like, they saw a polarizing figure and figured they'd cash in on the controversy. But last month I was in Portland for a wedding and stopped by their big store downtown. They've got this whole section dedicated to community programs, grants for local youth sports, and a big timeline showing how they've backed athletes speaking out on social issues since the 90s. I'm not saying it's purely noble, corporations always have motives. But seeing it all laid out with actual dollar amounts and program names made me realize it was way more than a one-off ad campaign. They've been working with grassroots orgs in that city for years now. Has anyone else visited a brand's actual physical space and had their opinion flip like that?

2 comments

2 Comments

taylor.amy2d ago

A friend of mine from college actually had a similar experience but with a different brand. She was dead set against this one outdoor clothing company because she thought they were just greenwashing. Then she got a tour of their repair center in Colorado and saw how they actually fix customers' old gear for free instead of just pushing new sales. They had bins of jackets from like 2012 that people sent in for zipper repairs and they were patching them up no questions asked. She said seeing all that worn out gear being given a second life made her totally rethink her stance. It's wild how seeing something in person can hit different than just reading about it online.

dianal942d agoMost Upvoted

@taylor.amy that's such a cool story. honestly it makes me want to actually go see stuff like that in person before forming a hard opinion. it's way too easy to get stuck in what you read online.