The Story Behind the Nike Swoosh Logo

When we think of famous athletic companies worldwide, Nike is one of the most recognizable brands – thanks to its unique logo.

Talking about a simple, timeless, and classic logo, Nike builds an identity that is impossible to forget. But have you ever wondered about the origins of Nike’s logo?

As one of the famous logos, let’s look at where the Nike logo started.

Brief History of Nike

For decades, the Nike brand established itself as a household name in the footwear and apparel industry. But did you know that Nike was not the company’s original name?

Yes, you read that right! The company was formerly called Blue Ribbon Sports and was renamed in 1978 as Nike, along with its curved check mark called the ‘swoosh.’

Nike sells a wide range of products for sports that is identified easily through its creative logos, including the most popular sports shoes with the Nike symbol.

Nike’s “Just Do It” Tagline

Now let’s take a look at their tagline. Whenever you see or think about the Nike swoosh logo, you often find yourself saying its famous slogan: Just Do It.

The tagline has become outstandingly popular and was part of the top 5 ad slogans of the 20th century. But here’s a spine-chiller: Gary Gilmore’s, the Utah serial killer, last words inspired the famous slogan.

Before Gilmore’s death sentence in 1977 for theft and murder, he allegedly said, “let’s do it. Dan Wieden, the pitcher of the slogan, shared in an interview. Strong meaning for behind a tagline, right?

How Much is the Nike Logo Worth?

Can you guess the price of the Nike Swoosh Logo? Acquiring the logo costs $35 only!

Sounds unbelievable, we know, but that’s how much Carolyn Davidson, designer of the swoosh, asked for the fee for her work. Nike gave her a portion of their stock a decade later.

With the rate of $2 per hour, who would have thought that this iconic logo design would, later on, become one of the world’s most recognizable icons?

Nike Logo Designer

Nike’s logo can be seen everywhere – from caps and shirts to socks and shoes. But who is the artist behind the iconic design?

It’s Carolyn Davidson, a graphic design student at Portland State University. Being chased by the deadline, the co-founder of Nike approached Davidson in 1971 to craft the logo.

So, that became the start of Nike’s impressive marketing scheme for their brand.

Nike Logo Evolution

The Nike Swoosh is one of the unique icon designs in history. Despite the simple appearance, the logo has had multiple revisions since its first release. Let’s take a better peek at them below.

1964

Nike’s first visual was a lettermark logo design that featured its original name, “Blue Ribbon Sports.” The interlacing initials “BRS” stayed atop the company’s wordmark.

Although the design only contained three letters and was shown in a black and white palette, it looked pretty complicated, and the founder decided to change it in the following years.

1971

This year, people made it clear that the iconic swoosh is way better and more impressive than the previous design. The Nike logo contained the brand name all in lowercase letters, which seems like a striking logo design with the curved swoosh.

1978

Nike’s team experimented with font style in this era. They shifted to the font style Futura Bold. It replaced the cursive serif typeface with a geometric shape, and the edge of the letter “E” runs into the swoosh’s tail.

1985

For a brief time, Nike incorporated a square logo design. However, it did not last long as it was during this period that Nike started endorsing famous athletes like Michael Jordan.

1995-Present

From 1995 til the present, the swoosh by itself became the hallmark symbol of Nike. Today, the logo stands for athleticism, speed, and high-quality performance in clothing design. It also showcases a strong case for simplicity and grace for the brand.

Nike Logo Designs

Lastly, let’s get into the various logo designs that Nike used over the years aside from the evolution of their main visual.

Nike Swoosh Logo

Nike, the Greek Goddess of Victory, inspired the Nike Swoosh Logo. Her wings are called the swoosh, which brings motivation and audacity to the warriors heading to the battlefield.

Experts believe this inspired the brand’s Swoosh logo—unique and straightforward. It follows a check mark shape, a perfect symbol for conveying Nike’s “just do it” attitude.

Black Nike Logo

Over the years, Nike’s swoosh symbol has appeared in multiple colors. But, for many years, the icon appeared in pitch black color, and people seem to prefer the Black Nike Logo over the others.

According to color psychology, black represents power and prestige. This definition explains why the Nike logo flares elegance, authority, and sophistication.

Nike Air Logo

The Nike Air logo debuted in 1982 and started appearing on the tongue of all shoes. This design helped feature the technology and became trending that Nike designers moved it to the heel tab in the following years.

Some of Nike’s popular retro shoes feature this design as well.

Nike Drip Logo

A new trend arose from Nike’s design team. Designers made sure to tweak the swoosh to create the illusion of dripping. As a result, the Nike Drip Logo came to life.

Nike Just Do It Logo

The Nike Just Do It logo was created by Ron Dumas and first appeared in 1989. This logo gave a graphic identity to Nike’s most recognizable brand slogan. The basic design and the boldness of the font allowed this simple rebranding strategy to skyrocket Nike into a global status.

Nike sure knows how to create a typography that stands out!

Nike SB Logo

With the popularity of skateboarding designs, Nike also incorporated the trend into their logo by introducing the Nike SB Logo design. Designed specifically for skateboarding, Nike used the stamp for its line of shoes, clothing, and accessories for skateboarding.

Nike Pink Logo

Nike introduced Nike Pink Logo on the brand’s Dunk Low collection. This new Triple Pink Sneakers version comes in three pink colors, causing a buzz in the market with its stunning design.

Pink is often associated with femininity and represents playfulness, romance, and sweetness. This design was well-accepted by Nike’s female fans as it is the perfect addition to their everyday outfits.

Design Your Athletic Logo Today!

It’s always good to learn about how everything started. The process and technique used are the keys to an awesome branding scheme.

Just like the Nike tagline, Just Do It.

If you’re in need of any more help in your design endeavors, just reach out. We have a community of freelance designers here and a logo maker back at BrandCrowd.

We also have other templates for Instagram posts, YouTube Posts, and even business cards back at BrandCrowd. Whichever design suits your style, goals, and budget, we’ve got it. Give yourself a catchy and impressive design today!