Former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick has been in an NFL exile for nearly 6 years and had some close shaves in that point of time. The situation became so dire for him, that even his endorsement deal with sports manufacturer Nike was in jeopardy. The famous sports manufacturer had thought of cutting Kaepernick from their roster of sponsored athletes, but something changed their minds.

The rumored separation plans between Nike and Kaepernick came to head back in 2017 with some of his decisions upsetting the sports manufacturer’s hierarchy. With the player no longer playing in the league, the separation seemed inevitable before Nike’s head of communications, Nigel Powell, stepped in. Powell was key in enlightening the hierarchy of the potential backlash they might receive on releasing Kaepernick.

Despite reportedly being pressurized by the NFL to cut ties with Kaepernick, Nike was bold enough to continue with him. But their faith in Kaepernick and the risk they took on him paid off as they yielded a record number of interactions on their ground-breaking campaign with him. It was a welcome boost for the company amid troubling times and lent them much-needed goodwill support. The strategy employed by Nike in the ‘Dream Crazy’ advertisement campaign was ‘a stroke of genius’ within stock market circles.

How did Colin Kaepernick breakthrough with Nike?

The sports manufacturer has been associated with Kaepernick since 2011 after the 49ers drafted him in the 2nd round. Their partnership has continued through his tumultuous tenure with the team. It endured a lot of things including his Super Bowl run, benchings, injuries, and other situations. In their endorsement campaigns that centered around him, the unveiling video went viral online and helped elevate Nike.

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The efforts of both Nike and Kaepernick sent both into a new realm of celebrity stardom. The success of their campaigns together started conversations within various circles. While Nike has a history of provocative marketing campaigns, they were able to capitalize on the momentum. It was something of a change that they only were discovering then.

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It gave the Niners QB his platform and support from a major sports manufacturer for his ideas and beliefs.

The possible 2022 NFL return will be due to their successful association and work together over the years. It will be up to Kaepernick to show his doubters that he is an NFL player beyond his Nike campaigns. While the interest in recruiting him remains high, things are looking up for the 34-year-old NFL QB.

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