just do it

Nike, the ultimate brand that says “Just Do It”. It speaks to us about willpower, energy, accomplishments, strength and individuality, yet it’s just apparel and shoes. The brand has transformed itself to be the spokesperson for athletics, inner beauty, and going after what you want.

What was once a brand that spoke to men, now has been super successful in speaking to women as well. The ad above describes that perfectly which is why I chose it to be my picture of the brand for this post. It talks about women being beautiful just how they are.

The brand was started in the 60’s by a man names Phil Knight who sold athletic apparel from the back of his car. The “swoosh” logo was developed in 1971 by Caroline Davidson in 1971 and represents the wing of the Greek Goddess NIKE. NIKE, pronounced NI-KEY, is the winged goddess of victory according to Greek mythology. She sat at the side of Zeus, the ruler of the Olympic pantheon, in Olympus. A mystical presence, symbolizing victorious encounters, NIKE presided over history’s earliest battlefields. A Greek would say, “When we go to battle and win, we say it is NIKE.” Synonymous with honored conquest, NIKE is the twentieth century footwear that lifts the world’s greatest athletes to new levels of mastery and achievement. The NIKE ‘swoosh’ embodies the spirit of the winged goddess who inspired the most courageous and chivalrous warriors at the dawn of civilization. (from Nike Consumer Affairs packet, 1996)

He averaged about $12 billion in sales over the recent years.

http://www.designyourway.net/blog/inspiration/35-nike-print-advertisements-that-boosted-the-companys-income/

http://xroads.virginia.edu/~class/am483_97/projects/hincker/nikhist.html