OT - Nike Faces Antidrug Backlash for New T-Shirts
http://sports.espn.go.com/boston/news/story?id=6698237
These shirts are pretty ballsy for a company as big as Nike. I guess they just can't let the X-Game/Stoner market get away from them.
Sorry, but that's just Stoopid. Whether you get high or not, those shirtz suck.
What the hell were they thinking??? I know that there is a huge drug culture out there but did they honestly think they wouldn't face an even bigger amount of backlash from the antidrug groups and fans.
Is there anything you can possibly say? A t-shirt with picture of a pill bottle with stuff falling out of it and the the caption "Dope?" Just wow.
I did not think they were actually licensed by nike. Wow. Too much, too much.
I'm going to hold off for the Dope Pro Combat tee.
if you'd post. I just had to see Stewies reaction to the news, lol.
This is really, really stupid. This goes against everything they've ever promoted and it's sad that there were enough people at Nike (of all companies!) to sign off on this.
Especially since steroid use has adopted the term "doping". You would think a prominent athletic apparel company wouldn't promote a "Dope" t-shirt whether it be drugs or steroids, both of which being illegal in practically all sports Nike supports.
To be fair, that can be said of all the major apparel manufacturers. But it's true that Nike has historically tried to be edgy in its marketing campaigns and has often embraced controversial athletes. When Adidas dumped Kobe after his rape charge, for instance, Nike quickly swooped in. Phil Knight's always been a bit of a devil-may-care kind of guy.
every third word in Sunnyvale Trailer Park, though. Ricky was the goalie for the Prison ball hockey team, his number was 420. I have the shirt. :)
I think shit makes up another third of the words used in Sunnyvale.
"what are you doing using your big school words? Just use your regular person words and I will understand" Ricky
Is that seriously a bottle of pills on that shirt?
It's a pill bottle with surf boards and other extreme sports equipment like skateboards spilling out. I'm not sure if that's meant to show that sports can replace drugs, or just pander to the druggy/extreme sport stereotype. I'm guessing it's the latter, but when asked, the nike PR will say it's intended to be the former.
Does this make being affiliated with Addidas any more acceptable?????
Certainly shows us how Nike comes up with those ridiculous Oregon uniforms.
I want those shirts
It can be taken that those sports replace the pills. The first one sucks
the pills bottle shirt, the 'get high' one they only had in small/medium.
thanks OP lol
They won't be on the market much longer.
But I refuse to pay more than $10 for a T-shirt
Why didn't you buy the one that says "RIDE PIPE"?
double
But promoting skateboarding is just irresponsible and wrong. Think of the children, Nike.
I like this one, personally
Nike is a marketing company. Like it or not, these are going to sell but it makes me wonder why Nike would want to go this route. My mom does a fundraiser called "drugs are trash" and whenever I wear one of the shirts (I get tons of free shirts), stoners always want to know where they can buy one.
Not all the shirts have controversial terms. Other shirts include the phrases "F Gravity" and "Get Wet."
This AP writer is clearly on the ball here.
Wow what stupid shirt. You have to wonder about the maturity of the people who buy this garbage.
I would have loved one of these when I was 18-25 or so. Most people are going to "experiment" with drugs at about the age where T-shirts are popular, so T-shirts with a allusions to drugs are a natural. The shirts aren't going to influence anyone to do drugs. They will definitely be popular with those who already do, though.
Besides, as far as the criticism goes, to quote a second-rate professional wrestling promoter, "controversy creates cash." Any articles criticizing the shirts are pretty much free advertising for them. Also, they can "turn a lemon into lemonade" by saying the shirts are meant to show that you should get "high" by playing sports instead of doing drugs.
I like the first shirt and I like the business strategy.
When they say "get high" they are talking about getting bigger air on the ramps and whatnot.
It's clearly a double entendre, but Nike is marketing these to the extreme sports crowd.
I understand their business strategy and what these shirts are intending to communicate, but its creating controversy and alluding to drug use for a vulnerable age group (and probably their leading income demographic). Call me old-fashioned, but I don't agree with subliminal and overt drug references to generate revenue.
pandering to the lowest common denominator for sales. Nothing new here.
I hate Mayor Menino. He's an absolute bafoon and a poor representative for the city. I have no idea how he's still in office (well may be one or two). However, those shirts are kind of dumb. I hate Menino so much, I did think of buying them and wearing them around Boston, but then I realized I'd feel like an idiot.
Just wait until the fall line comes out for Nike. They will feature hooded sweatshirts with Lets Ski, with two lines of cocaine on the front, Get wasted, as well as the soon to be hit, Get Raped.
You must be a Nike employee doing some blog market testing. I think those shirts are great ideas - The Get Raped would have a rapier and fencing helmet. Its an endless list
I am going to buy both of those t-shirts. Where can I get them?
I have two Nike shirts that say Higher Than Most on them with the Swoosh underneath the verbage. I was Wal Mart checking out and the cashier ask me what kind of high I was talking about. I was like wow ballsy. I am in the Marine Corps so I dont blaze and when I bought the shirts that didnt cross my mind. I havent worn them since and they match my Jordans. Frustating.
These shirts are exceptionally bad.
Nike (and other sports brands) clothing and logos were most popular for me and my peers in the very vulnerable middle school and early high school years. I can only imagine the response when kids see these shirts in stores, and they get their hands on it (through questionable parenting or whatever) and wear these to school.
What were Nike employees smoking up there in Oregon when they approved these?
Why are you guys getting so butt-hurt about this?
Nike (whom I'm not a fan of in general) is doing a pretty solid ploy here. They are taking a chance, something most big brands don't do, and are trying to "take it back" with the exercise/sports are the perfect antidrug.
I don't do drugs but I'd wear these shirts just to have the conversation. I like irony, I guess.
If young kids wear these and understand the sports in place of drugs message at all, it's a win-win.
Plus, Nike is getting tons of free publicity for this (or will). Win-win again.
will actually buy these shirts to make an anti-drug statement? Do you think the majority of the target demographic will have the mental capacity to even appreciate the subtle message? I'm guessing kids will just be like "lol, drugs" and wear the shirt.
It's just a money grab and trying to cash in on cheap publicity. Their marketing strategy is completely transparant. They will get the buzz out there and then feign ignorance and outrage as they explain the "deeper meaning" of the shirts.
It's like the Simpsons (in its heyday) - it appealed to all age groups. The younger crowd appreciates the obvious slapstick humor. The older and intelligent crowd picks up on the subtle political humor, adult references, etc. You can't attribute the show's success to one or the other.
You can't deny that a large (and probably overwhelming majority) of the buyers here are the slapstick crowd. They see a way to wear a funny shirt that encourages drug use. Even better, it's sanctioned by a major sports company so they have an out when they are challenged by concerned parents, teachers, etc.
It's a terrible (and terribly cynical) move by Nike that will result in a lot of cash, sadly.
I'm sure these shirts are somehow going to inure to the benefit of the Oregon football program. And recruiting agents in Texas. Oops, that's redundant.
Let's switch back to Nike right now!
OH MAN THAT SHIRT SAYS GET HIGH LIKE SMOKING WEED HAHAHA AWESOME I'M BUYING 420 OF THEM BRO GET IT?
Its always funny have the anti-drug crown gets up in arms anytime something like this comes out, when in reality the shirts are meant to 'recapture' or 'repurpose' the message that Dope and Get High, aren't about drugs, they can be about sports. So somehow because a T-shirt with various board sports on it says Dope, means that Sally and Johnny are going to become sterior users? Its just as likely to make them into the next Tony Hawk or Laird Hamilton or Jake Burton.
How is this different than the anti breast cancer shirts that say Boobies or rape walk rallies or thousands of other double entendre marketing campaigns?