On September 3rd, Collin Kaepernick, the former San Fransico 49ers quarterback, sparked outrage after being a part of Nike’s new “Just Do It” ad campaign. The ad is a black-and-white close-up of Kaepernick’s face with the words, “Believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing everything”  The ad showcases various sports-related stories including many other shots of professional Serena Williams, Lebron James, and the Seattle Seahawks’ Shaquem Griffin.

Kapernick was the first athlete to kneel during the “Star- Spangled Banner” to protest police brutality against black people which sparked a conversation about patriotism that roiled the nation. He has not been able to play a game since 2016 which sparked rumors that he might be blacklisted because of his protest. Many critics, including President Donald Trump, believed that Kaepernick was disrespecting his flag and country.

The universal theme for the ad is about athletes pushing for bigger dreams. Although there was some criticism regarding the decision to make Kapernick part of Nike’s 30th Anniversary of its’ iconic slogan, the move has made Nike brand top of the mind sparring consumers. This will allow it to boost its popularity among consumers that want to patronize their business.

However, the ad prompted many people online to threaten to boycott the company, while some went so far as to throw out their Nike gear or burn it. In the immediate backlash against the campaign, Nike shares fell nearly 4 percent at one point on Tuesday and closed down 3.2 percent, but overall the shares are up nearly 28 percent this year.

Nike became top trending terms on Twitter in the United States, and by morning the hashtag #NikeBoycott became the top hashtag on social media sites.

Nike has just released the full Colin Kaepernick ad on Wednesday.