A group of Black Nike employees "voiced repeated objections to the release of a recent ad by the company ... asking management to publicly acknowledge the company's own internal shortcomings on equality before promoting the ideal to consumers," according to sources cited by Sara Germano of the FINANCIAL TIMES. The internal pushback against the video ad, featuring footage of athletes including Colin Kaepernick and Serena Williams, "illustrates persisting divisions within Nike." The spot, released last week, includes LeBron James and Megan Rapinoe saying, "We have a responsibility to make this world a better place." Sources said that the group of employees who "voiced objections were members of a task force commissioned" by Nike CMO DJ van Hameren to "find solutions to Nike's internal issues with diversity." During the course of their work, they "became aware of the ad in development, and recommended to leadership in emails and at least two video meetings that Nike make a public acknowledgement of its own problems before using current social justice narratives 'for brand building'" (FINANCIAL TIMES, 8/4).
