Nike’s new tennis ad, featuring legendary hothead Nick Kyrgios, glorifies bad sportsmanship and is insensitive to people with mental illness, critics complained.
The ad, released just before the Australian Open kicked off, proclaims that “dark clouds never got in the way of talent.” It shows animated dark clouds swirling around Kyrgios, who was recently banned by the Association of Tennis Players after volatile on-court behavior; he’s currently meeting with a sports psychologist.
Dark clouds never got in the way of talent ☁️️ #JustDoIt @NickKyrgios pic.twitter.com/iap52qyKS0
— Nike Australia (@nikeaustralia) January 15, 2017
Kyrgios is as notorious for his bad attitude and salty on-court outbursts as he is for his athletic prowess. The New York Times recently described him as “quite possibly the most gifted tennis player to come along since Roger Federer,” but also “as tempestuous as he is precocious.”
The Nike Australia ad created an immediate backlash. Several people on Twitter complained that Kyrgios was a “classless guy,” an “immature spoilt brat,” a “f*ck knuckle,” an “embarrassment to Australia and tennis,” and “not a good ambassador for Nike.”
But others were more offended by the ad’s comments about “dark clouds,” which they took as synonymous with mental-health problems.
@nikeaustralia @NickKyrgios from somebody who has been under those dark clouds in life, this is disgusting ad, just ask somebody who has
— rob (@robbierocket7) January 15, 2017
@nikeaustralia @NickKyrgios suffered mental illness(many sportspeople have) and they will tell you its no laughing matter #disgusted
— rob (@robbierocket7) January 15, 2017
@nikeaustralia @NickKyrgios what a tasteless way of saying mental illness is no big thing #justfuckoff #justsweatshops #beyondblue #auspol
— PaulMCovers (@PaulMCovers) January 15, 2017
Nike did not respond to a request for comment from Heat Street.
