The Story Behind The 'Swoosh'

Since paying a total of 35 dollars for their famous ‘swoosh’ logo, Nike has risen to the top. From track shoes to shoes designed for skating Nike is now a major competitor in the apparel industry. When shoes suck athletes suck, this is where Bill and Phil helped out, with the start of Nike. After Bill approached Phil Knight wanting to make a lighter running shoe they designed the ‘Tiger.’ Going on to sell $8000 worth of ‘Tiger’s, together the Bill-Phil partnership started Nike. The Tiger was the most durable and light running shoe of its time. First being sold from the back of a car at Oregon University during track events. Considering the weight and durability, the ‘Tiger’ was a comfortable shoe with gas-filled membranes. The Nike shoe gave athletes the edge they wanted and began to explode in sales. Not until reaching 1 million in profit did the company hire a sales man. The sales man was a full time employee. Around the same time as Jeff Johnson’s hire, is when Knight devised the name, originally called ‘Blue Ribbon Sports,’ and logo for the company in 1971. The ‘Swoosh’ is meant to embody a goddess’s wings, with only $35 going into its creation. With a total investment of $1000 to start the company they defiantly came out on top. By 1980 Nike dominated over half of the athletic footwear market. Yet never advertised until 1982. During the 1984 Olympic Games 58 athletes were seen wearing Nike footwear. Profits there after sky rocketed to a total of 919.8 million. The famous Nike ‘Air Jordans’ are born in 1985 by NBA athlete, rookie Michael Jordan. The next year revenues surpass 1 billion. Only two years after the Jordans were released, Nike introduced a new shoe with air filled cushions call the Air Max. Shortly after in 1988 Nike introduced its “Just Do It” slogan, boosting profits to 1.2 billion. Nike expected 8 billion in sales during the 1997 fiscal year. Through the 80’s and 90’s Nike yielded greater and greater profits quickly assuming the