Good for business? Nike gets political with Kaepernick ad

NEW YORK (AP) — Why do it?

Nike has touched off a furor by wading into football’s national anthem debate with an ad featuring Colin Kaepernick, the former 49ers quarterback who was the first athlete to kneel during “The Star-Spangled Banner” to protest police brutality against blacks.

Marketing experts disagree over whether the ad is smart business.

But some note approvingly that it has made a big splash. And they say it could solidify Nike’s bond with athletes, especially black ones.

That’s an important consideration for a company that relies heavily on sports stars to endorse its products.