Nike, What Have You Done?

For countless folks and brands, it’s just another Friday, but not for Nike. The internet’s in a tizzy over their tweaks to jerseys, especially England’s. Nike shared these tweaks in a cheeky thread by 9:41 am GMT+1, and in under 8 hours, the tweet with the photo of what appears to be a cross embroidered in red, blue, purple, and wine garnered over 6 thousand comments and reached nearly 40 million people on Twitter oops X

This playful tweet sparked a myriad of reactions, from calls to boycott Nike to the Prime Minister chiming in, urging Nike not to mess with the country’s kit.

The decision to replace the traditional red and white in St. George’s cross with new colors has sent people into a patriotic frenzy on Twitter, accompanied by a disturbing undercurrent of racism. Immigrants like Aman Bhogal, who have embraced the England flag as their own, have joined in condemning the tweak, facing backlash in the process.

The question now looms: Is all publicity truly good publicity? Did Nike foresee this uproar when rolling out the new kit? And what implications does this have for the brand’s revenue amidst calls to boycott?

Nike’s “Just Do It” slogan may have been a misstep this time. It seems this was one action that should never have been… well, done.