A misjudgement in humour has lead to Nike having to cancel their recent print campaign for Air-Dri-Goat trail running shoes.
Complaints were received by Nike after the ad was run in US regional & national outdoor and backpacking magazines. The ad was intended to appeal to extreme outdoor trail types, who see roaming the countryside as an irreplaceable way of life, instead it has caused no small amount of offence to disabled people.
The ad claims that the grip given by the shoes can help a runner to avoid smashing into a tree "rendering me a drooling misshapen, non-extreme-trail-running husk of my former self, forced to roam the earth in a motorized wheelchair with my name embossed on one of those cute little licence plates you get at carnivals or state fairs fastened to the back."
This is Nike's second recent campaign to be pulled due to controversial content - their 'Racing Marion' TV spot featuring American runner Suzy Favor Hamilton and blood-spurting chainsaw scenes was withdrawn in September after complaints of bad taste.
