LAST
LAST NIGHT, BUT TONIGHT WE THOUGHT IT NEEDED MORE
EXPLANATION.
EXPLANATION. A PAIR OF SHOES, A BIG DEBATE.
NIKE GETTING SLAMMED FROM ALL
SIDES FOR CREATE, SHIPPING AND
THEN PULLING THOSE SHOES WITH
AN AMERICAN FLAG ON THEM.
IT'S NOT JUST ANY AMERICAN
FLAG.
FLAG.
FLAG. IT'S A FLAG THAT REPRESENTS AN
EARLY TIME IN OUR COUNTRY'S
HISTORY.
HISTORY.
HISTORY. A TIME OF SLAVERY AND
OPPRESSION.
OPPRESSION. RECENTLY, THE BETSY ROSS FLAG
HAS ALSO BEEN USED AS A SYMBOL
BY WHITE SUPREMACIST GROUPS, SO
LET'S YOU GET CAUGHT UP ON THIS
CONTROVERSY.
CONTROVERSY. HERE IS ADRIAN.
>> Reporter: FOR SOME, PUTTING
ON NIKE SHOES AND APPAREL NOW
TAKES ON A MEANING LIKE NEVER
BEFORE.
BEFORE.
BEFORE. >> IT'S A PART OF A BIGGER
TREND THE FORTUNE 500 COMPANIES
TAKING POSITIONS ON SOCIAL
ISSUES AND POLITICAL ISSUES
THAT 20 YEARS AGO THEY WOULD
NEVER TOUCH WITH A 10-FOOT
POLE.
POLE.
POLE. >>
POLE. >> Reporter: GEORGE JOHN IS A
MARKETING PROFESSOR AT THE
UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA CARLSON
SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT.
HE SAYS THIS IS THE NEW VERSION
OF PICKET LINES.
>> WHAT'S HAPPENING TODAY IS
THAT THEY ARE CHOOSING LOGOS,
ICONS, DESIGNS, WHAT HAVE YOU
THAT APPEAL TO SOME PEOPLE, BUT
ACTUALLY EVOKE A NEGATIVE
REACTION FROM SOME OTHER
PEOPLE.
PEOPLE.
PEOPLE. THESE COMPANIES ARE WILLING TO
TAKE THE RISK WITH THAT.
THAT'S WHAT'S CHANGED.
>> Reporter: THESE SHOES WITH
THE BETSY ROSS FLAG ARE THE
CRUX OF NIKE'S LATEST
CONTROVERSY.
CONTROVERSY. THE COMPANY DECIDED TO PULL THE
SHOES SHOW CASING THAT COLONIAL
FLAG.
FLAG.
FLAG. THE
FLAG. THE "WALL STREET JOURNAL"
REPORTS FORMER NFL QUARTERBACK
COLIN KAEPERNICK WAS BEHIND THE
MOVE TO GET NIKE TO PULL THE
SHOES.
SHOES.
SHOES. >>
SHOES. >> THIS IS LIKE ACT TWO.
THIS TIME I THINK THEY WERE NOT
QUITE AS SMART ABOUT IT.
>> Reporter: PART OF THE
BACKLASH IS FROM ARIZONA'S
GOVERNOR SAYING HE WILL PULL
INCENTIVES FOR A NIKE
MANUFACTURING PLANT IN HIS
STATE.
STATE.
STATE. HE
STATE. HE CALLED NIKE'S RECALL A
SHAMEFUL RETREAT AND ALSO SAID
IT WAS A TERRIBLE DECISION.
THE FACILITY IN HIS STATE
EMPLOYS ABOUT 500 PEOPLE.
WHO KNOWS WHAT WILL HAPPEN.
THE COLONIAL FLAG IS LINKED TO
AN ERA OF SLAVERY AND
OPPRESSION.
OPPRESSION. THE "WALL STREET JOURNAL" SAYS
KAEPERNICK AND OTHERS WERE
OFFENDED BY THE USE OF THE
FLAG.
FLAG.
FLAG. >>
FLAG. >> IT SHOWS YOU THE POWER OF
INDIVIDUAL PEOPLE IN A WORLD OF
SOCIAL MEDIA.
SOCIAL MEDIA. I STILL THINK NIKE MADE A
MISTAKE IN HAVING THE SHOES PUT
OUT THERE AND THEN PULLING THEM
BACK MEANING THAT'S NOT SMART
BUSINESS.
BUSINESS.
BUSINESS. IF YOU WEREN'T GOING TO DO IT,
YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE DONE IT IN
THE FIRST PLACE.
PART OF IS THAT THERE IS THIS
PREMIUM ON AUTHENTICITY THESE
DAYS.
DAYS.
DAYS. >>
DAYS. >> BELIEVE IN SOMETHING EVEN IF
IT MEANS SACRIFICING
EVERYTHING.
EVERYTHING. >> Reporter: LAST YEAR,
KAEPERNICK WAS THE FACE OF
NIKE'S 30th ANNIVERSARY JUST DO
IT CAMPAIGN.
IT CAMPAIGN. >> IT'S ALMOST LIKE THE
COMPANIES DON'T MIND SOME OF
THE CONTROVERSY AS LONG AS IT
MAKES THEM LOOK AND FEEL
AUTHENTIC.
AUTHENTIC. LET'S NOT FORGET AT THE END OF
THE TAY THEY JUST WANT TO MAKE
MONEY.
MONEY.
MONEY. >>
MONEY. >> SO, ALL THIS TALK ABOUT OLD
GLORY HAS ALSO SPARKED A LOT OF
QUESTIONS ABOUT HOW WE SHOULD
AND SHOULDN'T TREAT THE
AMERICAN FLAG AND THERE ARE A
LOT OF RULES.
THEY ARE CALLED FLAG ETIQUETTE
AND RENA BREAKS IT DOWN FOR US.
>> Reporter: 50 STARS
REPRESENTING THE 50 STATES AND
13 STRIPES FOR THE ORIGINAL
COLONIES.
COLONIES.
COLONIES. THE AMERICAN FLAG IS QUITE THE
BEAUTY.
BEAUTY.
BEAUTY. THE CURRENT DESIGN WE USE TODAY
IS THE 27th VERSION SINCE 1777.
IN FACT, WHEN FRANCIS SCOTT KEY
WAS INSPIRED TO PEN "THE STAR-
SPANGLED BANNER" HAD JUST 15
STARS AT THE TIME.
OUR NATIONAL SYMBOL IS NOTHING
TO MESS AROUND WITH.
THERE IS A CODE OF ETIQUETTE
THAT COMES ALONG WITH FLYING
THE COLORS.
THE COLORS. THE FLAG SHOULD NEVER BE
ALLOWED TO TOUCH THE GROUND.
IF FLOWN AT NIGHT, MUST BE
ILLUMINATED.
ILLUMINATED. IF YOU MUST DISPOSE OF A FLAG,
IT SHOULD BE PROPERLY DISPOSED
PREFERABLY BY BURNING.
IT ALSO PROHIBITS IT TO BE USED
FOR ADVERTISING AND SHOULD NOT
BE IMPRESSED ON THINGS LIKE
CUSHIONS, HANDKERCHIEFS,
CUSHIONS, HANDKERCHIEFS, NAPKINS, BOXES OR ANYTHING
PLANNED ON BEING DISCARDED
AFTER USE.
AFTER USE. THE PAPER PLATES ARE A NO NO.
CUTE BIKINI GIRLS, IT SHOULD
NEVER BE USED AS CLOTHING, A
COSTUME OR UNIFORM.
THE CODE FLAG IS U.S. FEDERAL
LAW, THERE IS NO PENALTY FOR
VIOLATING IT.
VIOLATING IT. AFTER ALL, THAT WOULD CONFLICT
WITH THE VERY REASON IT EXISTS
THE FIRST AMENDMENT AND OUR
RIGHT TO FREE SPEECH.
>> RENA BROUGHT US THAT STORY A
FEW YEARS AGO, BUT WE FELT IT
PERTINENT TONIGHT BECAUSE EVERY
TIME THESE DEBATES GET STARTED
ABOUT THE USE OF THE AMERICAN
FLAG ON APPAREL OR BEER CANS,
WE HAVE TO REVISIT THE FLAG