Named one of the two most influential tag lines in the 20th century, “Just do it” was created in a 1988 Nike meeting with its agency Weiden and Kennedy. Dan Kennedy was speaking at the meeting about Nike’s can-do attitude in comparison to the competitors and stated, “you Nike guys, you just do it”.
To add to the mystique of the slogan at the time, Nike ads rarely focused on the product being sold, preferring to focus on the athlete wearing the product. At times, that athlete was an everyday competitor; at others, Nike used an enormous stable of paid well-known athletes.
While the campaign received mixed reaction when it was first released, the enduring value and relevance of the line and its use in a wide array of Nike programs and activities, has been proven by the lasting impact the slogan has had for the company over the last thirty years. In short Nike, the Swoosh, and Just do it are inextricably linked together in advertising history.