Nike has taken the Outdoor Grand Prix at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. The jury for the French awards in communications, advertising and marketing was delighted with the “Dream Crazy” campaign that Nike put together with its longstanding ad agency, Wieden + Kennedy of Portland, Oregon. The ad features Colin Kaepernick, the former quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers who sparked a season-long protest against racism by kneeling during the national anthem at his National Football League games. The jury's president, John Patroulis, called the photo of Kaepernick's face “one of the most iconic images in advertising for the last several years.” Five ads for Adidas by TBWA\Chiat\Day New York, with tennis legend Billie Jean King, received gold Lions in Outdoor. Incidentally, Kaepernick has moved to seek trademark registration with U.S. authorities for the famous slogan – “Believe in something, even if it means sacrificing everything” – that sparked a beneficial controversy for Nike last September. It's possible that Nike let him do this as part of his compensation.

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