Poll: Nike's Kaepernick Ad Succeeds With Target Market Despite Controversy

The results of a new Harris Poll on Nike’s release of its Colin Kaepernick-fronted “Just Do It” campaign are in, and the numbers show all the shoe-burning isn’t hurting the company, according to ESPN.

While the poll indicates the brand has lost customers, it looks like a win for Nike overall.

The results of the poll of 2,026 Americans representative of the U.S. population show 17 percent of respondents said they saw Nike in a negative light following the Kap campaign.

Taken last week, the poll also shows the campaign was a hit with the segment of the population Nike was targeting, young men, as 29 percent said they would purchase more Nike products.

“Nike took a strategic risk to alienate some customers in order to appeal to their core base of 18- to 29-year old males,” said Harris Poll CEO John Gerzema. “It was a calculated move to become a more polarizing brand and it seems to have worked.”

Trailing Under Armour and Adidas in the positive perception category amongst the-18-to-29-year old age group, the campaign was effective in helping Nike catch up to its competition.

“Gen Z (13 to 22 years old) and millennials (22 to 34 years old) value companies that are socially active,” Gerzema said. “The younger population approve of Nike’s choice to use Colin Kaepernick.”

Despite the success, 21 percent of the general public said they would stop buying Nike.

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Evan Bleier

Evan is a senior editor with InsideHook who earned a master’s degree in journalism from NYU and has called Brooklyn home since 2006. A fan of Boston sports, Nashville hot chicken and Kentucky bourbon, Evan has had his work published in publications including “Maxim,” Bleacher Report and “The Daily Mail.”