>Subject: Text of Nike apology.
>
>
>Wieden + Kennedy Statement Re: Nike Air Dri-Goat Advertisement
>October 25, 2000
>
>"We have stepped over the line with this advertisement and there is no
>excuse for it. We have hurt a group of people for whom we have enormous
>admiration. These are men and women who demonstrate more courage in a
>single day than most of us will in our lifetime; who accomplish more,
>inspire more, and have far more reasons to be proud. For myself
>personally and for this advertising agency, I deeply apologize. I only
>wish there were a way to run the clock backwards."
>? Dan Wieden, Co-Founder & CEO
>
>Nike Statement Re: Air Dri-Goat Ad
>
>
>We have heard from a number of people who took offense to a paragraph
>within an ad running in the United States for the Nike ACG Air Dri-Goat
>trail running shoe currently running in several outdoor magazines.
>
>We offer a sincere apology to those people, their family and friends.
>Clearly, disabilities of any form are no laughing matter and that
>paragraph should not have been included in the ad. We are immediately
>pulling this offensive ad from future publication.
>
>The intent of the print ad for the Air Dri-Goat trail running shoe was to
>communicate the benefits of using the right equipment to prevent
>injuries. We certainly did not mean to offend, or make light of any form
>of disability.
>
>Nike has a long and proud history of supporting the athletic goals of
>people of all levels of ability. We firmly believe in the philosophy of
>our late co-founder, legendary track coach Bill Bowerman, who said, "If
>you have a body, you are an athlete." Nike has a strong record on
>employing people with different abilities, and has included athletes as
>diverse as Craig Blanchette, Casey Martin, Ric Munoz and others in its
>advertising. Nike also outfitted the 2000 Australian Paralympic Team. A
>former Nike president, Bob Woodell, suffered a spinal cord injury and
>uses a wheelchair, and we have a Disabled Employee Network. For more
>information about Nike and our dedication to corporate responsibility we
>invite people to check out our web site at nikebiz.com.
****************************
They still don't get it. We are NOT material for Inspiration. We hate that word "courage" as applied to disablement. Why can't disability ever be neutral?
Also, disability can be a target for humor, just not ableist crap humor. -- Marta Russell