Nike Gets Bit

It's a minute long. Less than a second of it has two dogs on leashes - a pit bull and a rottweiler - doing what dogs sometimes do. "Heavens to Betsy!," exclaimed some. "They're glorifying dog fighting!" And poof... it's pooched.

Go here for the story, and if you're a superadgrunt, go here for the spot. From what I can see, the dogs do the snarly lunge thing, but are pulled back by the handlers, which to me sends out the message that they're keeping the dogs from fighting, not glorifying it. It fits in great with the spot and the music too, dang it.

Created by local advertising agency Wieden & Kennedy, the commercial promoted Beaverton-based Nike's newest basketball shoe, the Air Zoom Ultraflight, which retails for $125.

When the ad aired in mid-February, the local Humane Society received about 20 complaints about it many from vexed individuals contending the ad glorified dog fighting.

"It was never Nike's intent to associate with, imply, or encourage dog fighting in any way," read the letter from Nike to the Humane Society.

In February, the nonprofit agency sent Nike a letter airing concerns about the commercial, and noting the complaints.

Other grievances about the commericial came from the Bay area. The group Bay Area Doglovers Responsible About Pit Bulls (BADRAP) posted a heated article about the ad on its web site. The dogs featured in the commercial were a pit bull and a rottweiler.

"We will ensure the clip in question will not appear in the remaining ads ... Also, we will stop running the ad in question as of March 17, 2003," said the Nike letter, written by company spokeswoman Celeste Allenye.

src="adland.tv/ike-hoops-aka-battle-long-2003-060-usa">go here for the spot. From what I can see, the dogs do the snarly lunge thing, but are pulled back by the handlers, which to me sends out the message that they're keeping the dogs from fighting, not glorifying it. It fits in great with the spot and the music too, dang it.

Created by local advertising agency Wieden & Kennedy, the commercial promoted Beaverton-based Nike's newest basketball shoe, the Air Zoom Ultraflight, which retails for $125.

When the ad aired in mid-February, the local Humane Society received about 20 complaints about it many from vexed individuals contending the ad glorified dog fighting.

"It was never Nike's intent to associate with, imply, or encourage dog fighting in any way," read the letter from Nike to the Humane Society.

In February, the nonprofit agency sent Nike a letter airing concerns about the commercial, and noting the complaints.

Other grievances about the commericial came from the Bay area. The group Bay Area Doglovers Responsible About Pit Bulls (BADRAP) posted a heated article about the ad on its web site. The dogs featured in the commercial were a pit bull and a rottweiler.

"We will ensure the clip in question will not appear in the remaining ads ... Also, we will stop running the ad in question as of March 17, 2003," said the Nike letter, written by company spokeswoman Celeste Allenye.