Nike yanks the controversial ads
Looks like Nike’s feelin the pressure from these ads they recently released.
WSJ – Nike Inc. said it dropped a billboard advertisement in response to critics who complained that the basketball-shoe ads were insensitive to gay men and African-Americans.
The ads, designed by ad agency Wieden+Kennedy, promoted a new line of basketball shoes, called Hyperdunk, that are at the center of Nike’s Olympics marketing pitch. The ad featured two unidentified male basketball players; as one flew up to the net for an apparent slam dunk, the other was left below, his face smashed into his opponent’s groin.
The scene appeared on outdoor ads in Philadelphia, Atlanta and New York, and was subtitled with slogans like “That Ain’t Right” and “Isn’t That Cute.” Its release prompted a number of blogs to lash out at the company for criticizing gays and African-Americans.
The main pressure on them came from a post on the media blog Gawker.
What do you guys think about the ads?
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