The story behind the famous brand is steeped in history and there’s a powerful meaning behind its name.
You don’t have to be a mega sports fan to know the Nike brand. It may represented by a simple, understated tick, but it’s also one of the most recognisable logos in the world.
The ‘Swoosh’ logo together with the trademark “Just Do It” tagline make up the core of the Nike brand, which is loved by top athletes, major sports teams and everyday shoppers alike. But there’s much more to the brand than meets the eye.
The story behind the Nike brand stems from ancient Greek mythology, with its name coming from the Greek goddess of victory.
The global sportswear brand adopted the goddess Nike as its namesake in 1971 and introduced its ‘swoosh’ logo that same year.
But before this the company actually operated under a different name and was initially called Blue Ribbon Sports from 1964 until 1971.
As a sponsor to many high-profile athletes and sports teams around the world, the company’s new name is a fitting moniker to help inspire success among those who proudly wear the brand.
Speaking about the origins of the Nike brand, sports writer Mike Pearson said: “One of BRS’s [Blue Ribbon Sports) first employees, Jeff Johnson, is credited with coming up with ‘Nike’, named after the Greek winged goddess of victory.
“Facing a factory deadline to put a name on the shoe box, Knight grudgingly went with the four-letter word that none of the shoes’ initial purchasers knew exactly how to pronounce.
“The box also sported a quirky yet unique logo that Bowerman and Knight hoped consumers would easily remember.”
Explaining how the Nike swoosh came to life Kit Morris, Nike’s director of college sports marketing, said: “At the time, Phil Knight was teaching accounting classes at Portland State University. He met a graduate student in design named Carolyn Davidson and he asked her if she would design a logo for Nike.
“I understand that she was trying to save up money for a prom dress at the time. She charged $2 an hour and submitted a bill for 17-and-a-half hours. So, for the princely sum of $35, the swoosh was created. The wing design was a notion of Nike, the goddess of winged victory. There’s a statue in the Louvre that embodies that, that we use as a model.”
Nike is the goddess who personifies victory in any field and is said to have had an overwhelming desire to always win, making her a fitting name for a sportswear brand that wants to inspire athletes to be the best of the best.
The goddess is known for her victory in battles and is often portrayed in Greek art as winged to symbolise her strength and agility. She has also been depicted carrying a palm branch as a symbol of peace following a victory or with Hermes’ staff as the messenger of victory, but is most commonly symbolised by the laurel wreath, which in ancient times was often given to victors in battle.
Greek literature also portrays Nike as a goddess who judges the excellence of gods and mortals in competition, which is why she is often depicted by the side of a victor to hail their success or wearing gold clothing.
