Nike faces tough call on Jones ads after doping charges

LONDON - Nike is still deliberating whether to run advertising featuring five-time medal-winner track and field star Marion Jones, who is currently under investigation by the US Anti-Doping Agency.

Nike, which prides itself on securing the world's greatest athletes for its ad campaigns, must decide fairly soon whether to show the ad, which was made to be screened in the run-up to the Olympic Games in Athens.

In April, Nike used Serena Williams, the runner-up at Wimbledon this year, as the first athlete in its new global "Speed" campaign, two months before Wimbledon began.

Nike spokesman Scott Reames said: "We do not disclose our overall communications strategy."

He added: "Marion Jones is one of the greatest athletes of our generation... and we continue to work with her to create world-class running footwear and apparel."

Bob Williams, chief executive of Byrns Sports & Celebrities, a company which helps match athletes with advertisers told The Wall Street Journal: "There is a lot more [for Nike] to lose in this situation than there is to gain. For any advertiser -- first and foremost -- you must protect the image and credibility of your brand."

For months, Jones has maintained her innocence and publicly denied taking performance-enhancing drugs. The allegations came as the Bay Area Laboratory Cooperative began a US probe into high-profile athletes.

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