Founded in 1964 by Phil Knight and Bill Bowerman under the name “ Blue Ribbon Sports”, Nike was to create a good American shoe that improved the comfort of the runners.
47 years later, now present in over 45 countries, Nike is the cool shoe brand of the past, the present and the future. What makes a shoe brand that has emerged in the middle of nowhere (Oregon) cool? Nike first reinvented the industry of the running shoes first but also reinvented the definition of cool using ads with NBA stars, Soccer players, Tennis men who at first represented the definition of cool for the teenagers back in the 1970’s, now and will in the future. If Kobe Bryant is cool and he wears NIKE product (shoes or T-Shirt) than NIKE is cool.
Would you Just Do It? In the 1990’s in addition to the extension of NIKE’s production into other sports then athletics, NIKE and Wienden+Kennedy thought of also creating a new slogan that will be one the top five slogans of the 20th century and will be the definitive slogan of NIKE through the years. “Just Do It “ was inspired from the last words spoken “Let’s do it” by Bary Gilmore before he was executed but this slogan also answers the customers question. For example, when you go into a shop whatever type of clothing you always yourself “Should I do it, should I buy it?” NIKE answers to the question by saying “Just Do It”.
“Just Do It” but is also the general response for whatever question you ask yourself before doing something stupid and dangerous but fun. Doing something without thinking about the consequences became cool.
Unisex or not? NIKE was at the beginning when it was created under the name the “Blue Ribbon Sports” was only designing shoes for men in the matter of fact the sports that NIKE was producing footwear for weren’t open to women. For example basketball was a men sport until the end of the 20th century where women started to be accepted and were allowed to have teams. It’s with the entrance of the women into the sports world that NIKE started to produce shoes for both sexes. For the last 20 years, NIKE has not been a unisex brand anymore which made it even cooler because it was one the first brand to men and women shoes and it also showed the feminist groups that were present and in fluent at that time that NIKE was for the equality between men and women. Nowadays, men and women/ boys and girls both wear NIKE products.
Two men’s idea to create a new design of running shoes and create a company to sell them resulting n the creation of one the biggest shoe brand of the world that sells any type of sports shoes (basketball, soccer, golf…) but also everyday life shoes. NIKE came up with the idea of a style of sport shoes that can be wear and used in everyday life and not only being specific sport shoes. But what If Phil Knight and Bill Bowerman would have never had the idea of changing the running shoes industry or creating their company? What if the Air Jordan line had never existed? What would be happened the world without NIKE?
47 years later, now present in over 45 countries, Nike is the cool shoe brand of the past, the present and the future. What makes a shoe brand that has emerged in the middle of nowhere (Oregon) cool? Nike first reinvented the industry of the running shoes first but also reinvented the definition of cool using ads with NBA stars, Soccer players, Tennis men who at first represented the definition of cool for the teenagers back in the 1970’s, now and will in the future. If Kobe Bryant is cool and he wears NIKE product (shoes or T-Shirt) than NIKE is cool.
Would you Just Do It? In the 1990’s in addition to the extension of NIKE’s production into other sports then athletics, NIKE and Wienden+Kennedy thought of also creating a new slogan that will be one the top five slogans of the 20th century and will be the definitive slogan of NIKE through the years. “Just Do It “ was inspired from the last words spoken “Let’s do it” by Bary Gilmore before he was executed but this slogan also answers the customers question. For example, when you go into a shop whatever type of clothing you always yourself “Should I do it, should I buy it?” NIKE answers to the question by saying “Just Do It”.
“Just Do It” but is also the general response for whatever question you ask yourself before doing something stupid and dangerous but fun. Doing something without thinking about the consequences became cool.
Not just a pair of shoes! In 1985, NIKE signs with a young NBA rookie, Michael Jordan, who will be Six Time NBA Champion and create the Air Jordan line with the “Jumpman” logo initially for NBA players and basketball players in general. The many styles and color schemes offered for the Air Jordan over the years have spurred a large secondary collectors market. Shoe collectors buy, sell and trade Air Jordans through the internet, snicker conventions and sneaker forums where there is a classification of the Air Jordans line by release year and model: Originals (The first edition of a particular model from its initial launch), Retros (Re-issues of older styles), Retro-pluses (Retro +, Air Jordans that are similar to the Original product, with more up-to-date changes or new color ways), Player Exclusive (PE, Air Jordans that are exclusive to certain athletes in the realm of sports). For example, Collectors are ready to pay over 600 $ for a rare pair of Jordans. Air Jordans became so cool that they are considered a piece of art that you expose in your house but for the younger generation, Jordans were cool because they were considered as Michael Jordan’s shoes who as a person was considered cool so his shoes were cool but not only that. The fact that also Rappers also started to wear Air Jordans with the baggie jeans and the large football jackets so the teenagers considered it as cool.
Unisex or not? NIKE was at the beginning when it was created under the name the “Blue Ribbon Sports” was only designing shoes for men in the matter of fact the sports that NIKE was producing footwear for weren’t open to women. For example basketball was a men sport until the end of the 20th century where women started to be accepted and were allowed to have teams. It’s with the entrance of the women into the sports world that NIKE started to produce shoes for both sexes. For the last 20 years, NIKE has not been a unisex brand anymore which made it even cooler because it was one the first brand to men and women shoes and it also showed the feminist groups that were present and in fluent at that time that NIKE was for the equality between men and women. Nowadays, men and women/ boys and girls both wear NIKE products.
Two men’s idea to create a new design of running shoes and create a company to sell them resulting n the creation of one the biggest shoe brand of the world that sells any type of sports shoes (basketball, soccer, golf…) but also everyday life shoes. NIKE came up with the idea of a style of sport shoes that can be wear and used in everyday life and not only being specific sport shoes. But what If Phil Knight and Bill Bowerman would have never had the idea of changing the running shoes industry or creating their company? What if the Air Jordan line had never existed? What would be happened the world without NIKE?
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