Colin Kaepernick's Nike ad wins Emmy for outstanding commercial

Nike's gamble to partner with athlete-turned-activist Colin Kaepernick paid off Sunday as the company won an Emmy for outstanding commercial at the 2019 Creative Arts Emmy Awards.

The commercial, titled "Dream Crazy," features Kaepernick alongside other sports legends including Serena Williams and LeBron James, who have reached beyond their personal achievements to support and advance political and social causes.

The ad was released in September 2018 days before the start of the NFL season. Kaepernick was one of the faces of Nike's 30th anniversary commemoration of its iconic "Just Do It" campaign.

Despite some intense response to the ad -- like people burning their Nike shoes and a Missouri college dropping the brand -- the company's stock hit an all-time high. Nike also gained tens of thousands of Instagram followers after announcing the campaign.

Since the commercial aired on televisions around the world, Nike has released several other socially and politically charged ads featuring an array of athletes from different backgrounds. Most recently, Nike partnered with the Toronto Raptors in their release of a team-branded hijab for Muslim women athletes.