Nike and the Story of the Swoosh

“Well, I don’t love it. But it will grow on me.”

That was the initial feedback to Nike’s “swoosh” logo design.

The iconic logo graced its first sneakers 55 years ago. Its humble origins have become the stuff of marketing legend.

Portland State design grad student Carolyn Davidson took a part time job designing charts and graphics for Phil Knight. Knight was an assistant professor eager to grow his sneaker business that would become Nike.

A few years later, Knight tasked Davidson with developing a logo for a black soccer cleat Knight was producing.

Davidson set about concepting several designs. She understood the assignment.

The mark had to convey motion. It had to look good on a shoe — Davidson drew designs on tissue paper and then laid them over a sketch of a shoe. It had to look different from the competition (namely Adidas).

Davidson presented several concepts, including the winning swoosh.

Knight’s initial feedback was less than enthusiastic. But they went with it, rushing the first batch of shoes into production.

Davidson sent an invoice for $35.

If the Shoe Fits

The origins of the swoosh have become part of Nike’s brand, especially in marketing circles and among Nike superfans.

Nike’s own narrative on the logo is worth a read. It doesn’t shy away from the details that bring the story to life (and brings search traffic to the Nike website instead of other outlets telling the story).

But those details aren’t necessarily aligned with the rest of Nike’s brand persona. They don’t convey its mission to “bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete.”

A different brand might work to downplay the story, or revise it to send a different message.  

But the real story is compelling, with characters, conflict and curveballs. It suggests a simplicity that makes the mark and the larger organization feel authentic.

And it has a happy ending. In 1995, Nike updated its logo to just the swoosh – the name “Nike” wasn’t even needed.