Nike's Faux Pas

Whāinga ako: Lesson Goals

Understand how using cultural symbols without permission can negatively impact people groups.

Mahi - work

Cultural Appreciation vs Cultural Appropriation

Cultural appropriation means using parts of another culture in a way that’s disrespectful, doesn’t give credit, or reinforces negative stereotypes. Unlike appreciation, which respects and credits a culture.

Appropriation takes credit from the original creators and can harm those from the culture. Usually there is a power imbalance, the person taking has more control/money/influence than the people they are taking from.

American Indian costume available from Look Sharp NZ

Opinion/Whakaaro:

Is dressing up in a culture's traditional clothes as a costume ok?
Is it political correctness gone mad or is there some good reasons for not doing this?

Discuss in groups and as a class. Talk about reasons why it may or may not be ok.

My culture is not your outfit

There is a growing number of posts online titled 'My culture is not your outfit' or a variation of that- this is coming from people who experience offence when they see someone dressed up in traditional outfits for Halloween etc.

Why might they take offence?

Without the understanding of history, context, and meaning, the usage of other cultural designs, outfits and images can be insulting and offensive.

Nike's cultural faux pas

Making poor business decisions can also affect a brand. Nike was the victim of its own poor choices in 2013. This resulted in them getting a lot of negative publicity.

Above: the offending design and the traditional Samoan pe'a

Nike faux pas

"Inspired by tattoos from the South Pacific"

Nike has released a set of women's sports gear inspired by traditional tatau - tattoos of the Pacific.

But the international sports brand has made a cultural faux pas, with the women's leggings creating the appearance that the wearer has a traditional Samoan tattoo, the pe'a, which is reserved for men.

Pasifika blog sites have attracted hundreds of comments since Nike released the Pro Tattoo Tech gear - leggings, sports bras, jump suits and singlets - last week.

Some are unhappy about the use of the designs, which are viewed as sacred.

Others have mocked the women's leggings, calling them manly and inappropriate for women.

A blogger on the One Samoana Facebook page called Nike's use of the tatau an "ugly exploitation of culture".

"This reduces [tatau] to patterned tights rather than assigning it the mana it warrants." Freddie Ika said: "To the outside world it's just a design. But to my Polynesian people, it's sacred."

The New Zealand Herald. 2013

Explain the term 'faux pas'
What was wrong with what they did?
List some ways this could negatively impact Nike
How could Nike resolve this situation?
How is this an example of a power imbalance?

Click down for some potential answers

A faux pas is a mistake that is embarrassing and potentially damaging.
It was culturally insensitive. Cultural appropriation. They did not understand that the tattoos hold deep meaning and that it is offensive to reproduce it and sell it.
Negative impacts:
- poor reputation
- lose customers
- less sales/loss of money
- lose workers (staff don't want to be associated)
- lower confidence in company
- reduced share price/loss of investors
- celebrities not wanting to endorse brand anymore
Nike could:
- Make an apology
- Take the product off the shelf
- Make some kind of donation
- Stop making the product!
Nike has a lot of money and influence.