Nike’s Air Force 1 Low Puerto Rico Shoes Illustrated a Lack of Cultural Competency

The article was written on June 21, 2019, by Janel Martinez, a contributor to Adweek, a weekly American advertising trade publication.  Martinez discusses Nike’s controversial “Puerto Rico shoe” and how lack of diverse teams led to the lack of cultural competency.

Martinez (2019) explains, “When Nike announced the Air Force 1 Low Puerto Rico would be released on June 1st, ahead of the annual National Puerto Rican Day Parade, what was intended to be a cultural celebration quickly turned into a preventable mistake.”  She continues, “Designed to celebrate Puerto Rico, the sneaker included “PR” branding on the tongue tab and heel as well as the national symbol, the coquí frog. But those familiar with Latin America, the Caribbean and, more specifically, indigenous culture spotted an issue. The mola design—a multicolored, traditional art form—included on the sneaker is specific to the Guna community, not Puerto Rico” (Martinez, 2019).

Nike Air Force 1 Puerto Rico Low Shoe (Retrieved from https://footwearnews.com/2019/focus/athletic-outdoor/nike-puerto-rico-air-force-1-sneakers-pulled-1202783886/)

Martinez continues to discuss how the Guna people are an indigenous group living in the Panama area and the Caribbean islands.  Martinez references the BBC report which states, “estimated at more than 50,000, the group has sovereignty over their land, which they won from the Panamanian government after the 1925 revolution, meaning they operate under their own government and constitution” (Martinez, 2019, retrieved from BBC World News).

Nike Air Force 1 Low Shoe Back (Retrieved from https://www.adweek.com/brand-marketing/nikes-air-force-1-low-puerto-rico-shoes-illustrated-a-lack-of-cultural-competency/)

Martinez continues to explain how people reacted via social media regarding the mistake.  She quotes Clark Kent, a legendary DJ, producer, and sneaker collector.  He stated on his instagram, “Respectfully, this is not a part of Puerto Rico’s rich culture, though we are both Spanish speaking people, we have different traditions, art and cultural expressions. When celebrating one, please do proper research. These things should not be confused” (Martinez, 2019).

Later in the article Martinez references Arlene Pitterson, a multicultural consultant, who acknowledges Nike’s efforts, but references additional research was required in order to effectively execute the shoe launch.  Martinez’s article states, “Multicultural marketing consultant Arlene Pitterson acknowledged Nike’s diverse content, referencing Serena Williams narrating the “Dream Crazier ad and Colin Kaepernick’s “Just Do It” campaign and overall inclusion efforts, but believes the cultural misstep with the “Puerto Rico sneaker” could’ve been avoided through deeper research and executive buy-in of ideas or concerns.  Pitterson states,

Do you have people on your senior team who are exposed to different things? Do you have people in the room who feel empowered to speak up? It’s not just [about putting] a Panamanian in the room; put a Puerto Rican in the room. It has everything to do with if I was in the room, and I made a comment, is it actually going to go anywhere?”

After receiving opposition from the Guna community, Nike’s response was to pull the shoe, and issue an apology.

Nike’s apology/statement: “We apologize for the inaccurate representation of the design origin for the Nike Air Force 1 ‘Puerto Rico’ 2019. As a result, this product will no longer be available” (Nike, 2019).

Martinez finishes the article by saying that this error will not be crippling to the brand, but it is an opportunity to learn, diversify their teams, and empower people.  Her direct quote from the article is, “The mistake isn’t irreconcilable or brand-damaging—it’s an opportunity for Nike to diversify and empower those they invite to the creative table” (Martinez, 2019).

This article was chosen as it is drives home the ideas covered in this course that just having diversity for the sake of diversity does not make your organizational culture any different.  In addition, it does not solve the issue of lack of cultural understanding within your organization.  The organization must make a direct effort to educate employees and senior leadership of the target audience and the cultural norms.  Pitterson’s quote stuck out to me the most, and I fully agree with it.  It is not about just putting a person, or a few people in a room and calling it diverse.  It is about exposure, understanding, and empowering people to have a voice.  If senior leadership are limited in their exposure to different cultures and thwart any opportunity for others to speak up, avoidable mistakes will happen.

If you are interested in reading more about Nike’s mistake, check out Martinez’s full article here:

As always, comments and feedback are welcomed. Please add to the discussion!

Sincerely,

Stephen Watts

@jaylee4515

#COMM837S19