They did it on purpose

Nike's Ad Flap in Asia Reveals Strategy by Rukmini Callimachi

While Nike quickly backtracked and apologized for the ads, the manufacturer has a history of edgy sales messages - a strategy that has helped endear Nike to youth by positioning the company as a corporate rebel.

"Nike has a well-deserved reputation for sailing close to the edge in its advertising - so it's no surprise that a Nike ad courts controversy," said marketing professor John Quelch, a senior associate dean at the Harvard Business School.

Controversy has been one of many ways in which Nike has made its brand stand out, a strategy company officials have been blunt about in the past...

In China, the TV commercial offended government regulators because it showed an American sports icon defeating the dragon, a symbol of Chinese culture, and the martial arts master, a symbol of national pride...

...Nike spokeswoman Shelley Peng said the ads, while upsetting to older consumers, were also popular with teens.