A Nike commercial featuring activist and former NFL quarterback, Colin Kaepernick, is up for an Emmy Award.
The commercial, which featured the former football player who became more famous for his off-the-field activism than for his brief NFL career, went viral when it launched last fall.
What are the details?
The commercial, titled, "Dream Crazy," is up for an Emmy Award, according to Footwear News, Ad agency Wieden+Kennedy and production company Park Pictures share the nomination with Nike.
The campaign, which launched in September, prompted both backlash and support, as Kaepernick has been instrumental in the national anthem kneeling protests that took place during NFL regular season games in 2016.
Kaepernick has also been a proponent of the Black Lives Matter movement.
The commercial features other people such as LeBron James and Serena Williams, and heavily focuses on their athletic achievements in addition to their public life activism and philanthropy.
What's the background?
Kaepernick was the catalyst of the ongoing protests by NFL players who chose to kneel during the playing of the national anthem. The former quarterback began taking a knee during "The Star-Spangled Banner" in the 2016 preseason, and continued kneeling throughout the season, along with players from other teams doing the same.
The football player-turned-activist explained his motivation to protest racial inequality and police brutality.
"I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color," he said. "To me, this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way."
"There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder," he said, referring to instances where police officers have killed black suspects without being criminally charged.
The Emmy Awards will take place Sunday, Sept. 22.
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