DOES RALPH NADER WANT TO BE LIKE MIKE?
Nike “wanted to pay” consumer advocate Ralph Nader $25,000 to appear in an ad and say, “Another shameless attempt by Nike to sell shoes,” while holding the company’s Air 120 sneaker, but Nader “turned them down,” according to a report in the WASHINGTON POST. Nader: “Look at the gall of these guys.” Nike Dir of Global Business Affairs Mark Thomashow said in a letter to Nader, “What we are asking is for Ralph … to take a light-hearted jab at us. This is a very Nike-like thing to do in our ads. We try not to take ourselves too seriously.” After Nader turned Nike down, it hired Spike Lee (WASHINGTON POST, 5/13). MORE KUDOS FOR PITCHERS’ ADS: USA TODAY’s BASEBALL WEEKLY’s Dottie Enrico reviews the Nike spots featuring MLB pitchers practicing to become better hitters. Enrico writes that the final ad of the campaign is “expected to debut in a few weeks” and will feature “several celebrity fans,” including Rush Limbaugh (BASEBALL WEEKLY, 5/12 issue).
