Nike confronted with allegations of the Holocaust Destilation-DiePresse.com
Nike is criticized after the London marathon. An advertising banner with the inscription « Never Again. Until Next Year » was considered a tasteless alluding to the Holocaust commemoration. The company has now apologized.
London marathon was last weekend. Nike Layed a few banner hanging along the running route, one of which brought massive criticism from the sports manufacturer: « Never Again. Until Next Year » was read on it, in German: « Never again. Until next year. » What should have been an allusion to the enormous exhaustion of the runners at best is strongly reminiscent of the warning in front of the Holocaust, an expression for the fight against any form of human hatred and fascism. This and the bright red color of the poster, which some make some think of the color symbolism of the National Socialists, brought Nike into trouble.
Last but not least, Bill Ackman, well-known Jewish-American investor, drew attention to the campaign via X. « The thought that Nike would make the Holocaust ridiculous in a world after October 7 with a Hitler-red symbolism is amazing, » he wrote. « Heads have to roll. » The pro-Israele activist and lawyer Arsen Ostrovsky does not believe that a bad intention is behind it, « but please understand the concerns about the use of words ‘never again’ what they represent and why this was tasteless, » he also said via X.
A columnist of the British magazine « The Spectator », Jonathan Sacerdoti, whose text was devoted to the Holocaust commemoration, was also stunned: « Only a few critical eyes, a single voice, had used a ‘sensitivity reader’ to raise a gentle objection, » he wrote: » pointed out that it could be inappropriate?
Now Nike has apologized. The Jewish-American newspaper « The Forward » has a corresponding letter. In it, the brand promises to no longer use the expression « Never Again » in the future. The poster was part of a campaign to motivate runners, the text is based on « common phrases of runners ». « We didn’t mean it badly and apologize for everything we caused, » it also said. (Red.)
