Nike as we all know today: is a statement brand. A statement of winning that needs no explanation. From a shoe brand to a multi millionaire brand that endorses and is favourite of the best sports men on planet earth and sponsors nearly all of the most great sport events. Even a 5yr old goes to the store and tells his/her mom
"I want those snickers! The one with a 'swoosh' on it."
Lets peep in this Swoosh history.
The "swoosh" was born out of a doodle from a designer named Carolyn Davidson. She created at least half-a-dozen different marks and gathered them together to present to Knight, Bob Woodell and Jeff Johnson (two BRS executives) at the company's home office, at the time located in Tigard, Oregon.
They ultimately selected the mark now known globally as the Swoosh.
"I don't love it," Knight told her, "but I think it will grow on me." |
Davidson submitted a bill for US$35 for her work. Too small for a bill of a logo, that was going to change the company's fortune forever. No one had a hint of how big the 'swoosh' could be in the upcoming decades. In September 1983, Knight gave Davidson a golden Swoosh ring with an embedded diamond, and an envelope filled with an undisclosed amount of Nike stock to express his gratitude.
"The logo represents the wing of the Greek Goddess. The Nike logo is a classic case of a company gradually simplifying its corporate identity as its frame increases. The company's first logo appeared in 1971, when the word "Nike," the Greek goddess of victory, was printed in orange over the outline of a checkmark, the sign of a positive mark. Used as a motif on sports shoes since the 1970s, this checkmark is now so recognizable that the company name itself has become a definition for many design-heads.
Isn't it amazing? A small symbol we call a logo design can turn a company into a huge success.
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