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Do you recognize the logo? Of course, you do...
You would assume that a logo as iconic as the Nike logo must have cost thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours of hard work to achieve and develop such a successful, recognizable, and known result. But sometimes, the simplest idea is the best one and the story behind the famous Nike’s Swoosh demonstrates this perfectly.
In 1971, Phil Knight, founder of Nike, and his co-founder Bill Bowerman needed to find a logo for the line of shoes they were introducing to the market. Knight had hired Carolyn Davidson, a graphic design student to come up with a fitting logo. The requests were simple, they were looking for a logo that represented speed and that was different from any of the competitors' logos. Davidson came up with countless concepts and dedicated more than seventeen hours to this project; however, in the end, Knight chose the famous "Swoosh" as Nike's logo which only cost 35$ at the time. It’s a sound we hear when someone or something passes by quickly. This word stands for fast sound, speed, and motion. Therefore, the custom logo is designed in the shape of an arching movement.
This was, and still is, the perfect logo for Nike. Today, being one of the most recognizable and valuable logos, the Nike Swoosh is worth $26 billion.
An unexpected slogan inspiration – “Let's Do it"
Behind every big brand, such as Nike, in addition to a logo, there is a renowned slogan. Dan Wieden is the co-founder of the advertising agency Wieden+Kennedy that was in charge of coming up with Nike's famous and catchy tagline/slogan.
This process also took lots of hard work, but you would be surprised to find out that Nike's "Just Do It" famous slogan is based on a murderer's last words, which were "Let's do it". However, Wieden didn't think this was quite catchy enough and wanted to challenge it more, and this is how "Just Do It" was born.
Knight's response was quite unexpected and skeptical, and he first rejected the idea, but Wieden strongly believed in it and asked his partner to trust him on this one!
Just like the Swoosh, the tagline was an instant big hit, and both became recognizable globally and still are to this day.
The tagline was awarded as the best one of the 20th century by several magazines such as The Campaign and The Independent magazine.
Just like the logo, the tagline is simple yet effective, as well as short and memorable!
The logo and the slogan are inspiring and push people beyond their limits. They encourage a no-nonsense approach while being upbeat and inspiring.
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The story behind Nike's iconic Swoosh and "Just Do It" slogan is a testament to the power of simplicity and creativity. What began as a $35 logo and a tagline inspired by unexpected sources has become a global symbol of motivation and excellence. Nike’s success reminds us that the simplest ideas often have the most profound impact. Check for fake diplomas