A Victorious Brand Story

Nike is a brand that absolutely needs no introduction. Mostly, it doesn’t even need a name – just its legendary swoosh logo is enough for instant recall by almost anybody, anywhere in the world. And yet, for the first 14 years of its existence, it wasn’t even officially known as Nike; rather the uninspiring Blue Ribbon Sports. It was founded in 1964 by an American track and field coach Bill Bowerman and his student Phil Knight (now Chairman Emeritus). Today, it is endorsed by the most successful athletes across the landscape of sport, and is marketed in over 170 countries. The brand is valued at over $33 bn. Starting out as just an American distributor for a Japanese sports shoe company, when they finally decided to launch out on their own, the search for a new name suddenly took precedence. At first, the suggested names were speedy animals – almost a response to the global sportswear brand, Puma. Then barely hours before the first shipment was due to go out, an employee came up with Nike. To which the company President asked: “What’s a Nike?” Nike, of course, is the name of the mythological Greek goddess of victory. The decision makers didn’t really like the name, but as time was running out, they accepted. The goddess Nike holds a lofty position in the Greek firmament, often next to Zeus. The daughter of Mars, the God of War, it was she who flew around battlefields, rewarding winners with a wreath of laurel leaves symbolising fame and glory. Olympic medals are still etched with her image. But getting back to the Nike brand story, once the name was in place, the logo was the next urgent requirement. The options were worked on by a graphic design student, for which she was paid a paltry $2 per hour. Her approved design was the Swoosh as we know it today. It is supposed to represent the wings of the goddess Nike.