A nonbinary furry starred in Nike’s latest advertising campaign amid a slump in sales at the legendary sportswear brand.
Nike has been beset with poor sales over the past year while competitors like Adidas and Hoka have enjoyed surging profits.
The company’s latest campaign, Gaming Division, a collaboration with British designer Martine Rose, is tailored to the video gaming community.
The products launched on October 30 and were modeled by five new gaming-style ‘characters’ who Nike has described as ‘heroes of a modern arena’, defined by ‘creative energy’.
They included nonbinary furry, Dominique McLean, 27, a professional esports player of several combat games whose ‘fursona’ – furry persona – and gaming alias is Sonic Fox.
McLean, from Delaware, is the highest-paid fighting game esports player in the world, with earnings exceeding $800,000 from his gaming victories.
The self-proclaimed furry, who uses he/they pronouns and identifies as gay and nonbinary, is known to compete in a blue-and-white fox suit with a large Sonic the Hedgehog-style head.
Nonbinary furry, Dominique McLean, 27, is a successful gamer who goes by the ‘fursona’ Sonic Fox
McLean uses he/they pronouns and identifies as gay and nonbinary
‘Gaming is a new lens into how we view sport and I want to help expand that lens,’ Rose said in a statement.
‘I’ve always been interested in finding the corners of mainstream cultures and shining a light on them through fashion, and this collaboration with Nike offers a unique opportunity to do that in a way that’s authentic to gamers and their communities.’
According to a company statement, the collection ‘challenges convention by blurring the lines between sport, gaming and streetwear’ and features pieces including hoodies, football knits and ski parkas.
In the Gaming Division’s 90s-themed advertisement video, McClean was missing his signature Sonic Fox mask, but was instead depicted with werewolf-like features.
The minute-long video also featured other prominent gamers – Ana, Billy Mitchell, Scarlett and TenZ – in various characters.
But McClean donned the white and blue animalistic headpiece in a campaign photoshoot, which Rose shared on social media.
Nike’s revenue has been dropping since early 2024, with the exception of the most recent quarter, when the firm showed the first signs of growth in almost a year.
But this much-needed reprieve came amid a continuous decline in digital sales, according to Digital Commerce 360.
Nike CEO Elliot Hill has presided over a decline in sales at the sportswear giant
McClean appeared in the 90s-themed campaign with werewolf-like features
Nike’s revenue increased 1 percent year over year, reaching $11.72 billion, an increase from the $11.59 billion from the previous year.
While CEO Elliot Hill expressed careful optimism about the turnaround, Chief Financial Officer Mathew Friend said Nike expects revenue to decline to the low single digits by the second quarter.
Last month Hill admitted there were problems with the company’s online sales: ‘Organic traffic has slowed. We are working to find the right assortment and marketing mix to consistently bring consumers back to our digital ecosystem.’
Nike higher-ups have also expressed concerns about the strain of tariffs on the company. Nike anticipates tariffs to cost the company about $1.5 billion this year, compared to $1 billion it expected.
Almost all of the brand’s shoes are manufactured outside of the country, primarily in Vietnam, China and Indonesia – all nations that have been hit hard by Donald Trump’s tariffs.
‘We’re also realistic that we are turning our business around in the face of a cautious consumer tariffs uncertainty and teams that are still settling into this sports offense,’ Hill said on a post-earnings call.
McClean, middle, starred in the new Gaming Division campaign, aimed at the video gaming community
McClean, right, is the highest-paid fighting game esports player in the world, with earnings exceeding $800,000 from his gaming victories
Meanwhile, Nike’s competitors Adidas and Hoka have seen profits soar.
In the most recent quarter, Hoka sales grew by 11 percent from the same period last year, bringing in $634.1 million, according to the NASDAQ.
Adidas announced on October 29 that its year-over-year revenue increased by 12 percent, reaching approximately $7.73 billion.
The Daily Mail has reached out to Nike and McLean for comment.
