What do Colin Kaepernick and Megan Rapinoe have in common? They have both parlayed national anthem protests and leftist activism, into lucrative ad campaign deals with Nike.
Rapinoe, the U.S. Women’s National Team star who made headlines this summer for profanely dismissing any possibility of visiting the White House after the Women’s World Cup, is set to join Binx Walton and John Waters as a part of a capsule collection from Nordstrom Vice President Olivia Kim, who has partnered with Nike.
According to the New York Post:
Kim is known in the fashion world as a creative force as well as a street-style-worthy dresser, so it was only a matter of time until she would create a collection of her own. The brand announced Nike x Olivia Kim Thursday, Elle reports, calling the collection a fuse between ’90s subculture in New York where DIY fashion reigned the streets and youth culture everywhere was reclaiming their childhood through sartorial expression.’
In June, in response to a reporter’s question about whether she would visit the White House, Rapinoe said she would not go “to the f*ck*ng White House.”
In July of this year, conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh said that Rapinoe was using her activism to land a Nike deal, just like Colin Kaepernick had done before her.
Nike made Kaepernick the face of their “Just Do It” ad campaign, after he led a large anthem protest movement that eventually became pervasive throughout the league, during the 2016 and 2017 seasons. Rapinoe herself adopted Kaepernick’s protest stance when playing for the National Women’s Soccer League.
Rapinoe made headlines recently when she was named one of the BBC’s list of 100 Inspiring and Influential Women. The USWNT co-captain also made People magazine’s list of “Women Changing the World.”
Follow Dylan Gwinn on Twitter @themightygwinn