When Nike launched its 2018 campaign featuring Colin Kaepernick, it felt unprecedented that a brand would so visibly come out in support of a polarizing sports figure—especially on the theme of Black Lives Matter.
It was an especially bold move because the launch came at a time when many had stopped talking about racial justice in America, falling between 2014's unrest in Ferguson, Mo., and 2020's resurgence of protest after the death of Minneapolis resident George Floyd.
In that vein, insurance challenger brand Root is taking a doubly bold move this week by coming out strongly in support of Nascar's Bubba Wallace at a time when the race league is no longer in daily headlines about racist comments or symbolism like the Confederate flag—and when much of America seems to have lost its momentum for supporting Black Lives Matter.
Root's campaign, developed by production house Tool of North America, is a stark and haunting look at how Wallace has been hounded by critics—including President Donald Trump—since calling out a noose tied in the door pull of his garage in Talladega, Ala. When it was eventually learned the knot had been there previously, many accused Wallace (the league's only top-level Black driver) of inventing the story for attention (he didn't) and demanded an apology.
The new spot, "Unapologetic," shows Wallace trying to move on and stay focused while the cloud of American racial politics still hangs over him. "Progress owes no apology," the ad states.
"This means a lot to me for many reasons but mostly the most human of emotions: acceptance," Wallace wrote on Twitter in announcing the ad. "@root_insurance accepts me for who I am. We also share a vision of inclusion. It’s a positive change I try to represent, even when I fall short. But that vision should never be apologetic."
Given the brand's low profile, it's unlikely the Wallace spot will get the level of attention seen by Nike and Kaepernick, but it's still worth taking a moment to reflect on how brands (and which brands) continue to support social justice efforts even when they're not front-page news.
David Griner
Creative and Innovation Editor, Adweek
David.Griner@Adweek.com
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