The controversial marketing saga of Nike and the Saint George's Cross

Purpose-driven and marquee brands have been known to push the "brand envelope" in the quest for disruption and innovation.

Nike and Benetton are among the Fortune 100 brands that are not shy about controversies and have gone boldly where few brands have before.

The latest controversy (albeit political) to erupt in the brand kingdom is a marketing row between Nike and the creative use of the Saint George's Cross ( in the Union flag, this represents the entire Kingdom of England, including Wales)in the National's team jersey.

Nike, in its never-ending quest for creative freedom, has altered the original look of the cross, using purple and blue horizontal stripes in what it called " a playful update" ahead of Euro 2024, which commences in June.

Nike offered marketing and design logic for this move, saying it was inspired by the training kit worn by England's 1996 World champions. The brand mandarins at Nike think this design was intended to disrupt history with a modern take on a classic.

The design unveiled on the England football shirt has led to a furious uproar from fans, former players, and politicians alike, including the British PM, who has taken substantial patriotic stands. The British PM has gone on record to say that when it comes to national flags, they shouldn't be messed with.

Expectedly, the political brouhaha over this so-called flag sacrilege comes under the backdrop of the so-called culture war of traditionalist values versus progressive and liberal values, with an iconic brand unwittingly caught in between.

This brings to the need for critical reasoning, not just from a brand marketing lens alone.

1. Do brands then have the creative license and freedom to experiment with national symbols in today's world? Where does a brand draw a line?

2. What governance and design compliances should brands refrain from tampering with? Do such moves eventually backfire after initially creating attention and hype?

4. Are political and national symbols "untouchable and unalterable" in the brand lexicon?

5. Do brands lose on equity and saliency and earn infamy in the long run when they boldly experiment with leaving their safety zones?

6. Do they leave room for ambush marketing by competitors, creating irreparable brand harm?

What are your thoughts? Where & when do Marketing Directors & CMOs draw a line on the sand on brand freedom and expressing themselves without fear & societal retribution?

Is creative and free expression beyond all this?

#Nike

#SaintGeorgeCross

#Euro2024

#BritishPM

#Brandfreedom

#BrandControversey