After 25 years, 'Just Do It' remains iconic tagline

Jeffrey Martin | USA TODAY Sports

Dan Wieden was worried his advertising agency's proposed slogan for the burgeoning footwear giant was too unfocused.

Recalling killer Gary Gilmore's famous last words before he was executed by firing squad in 1977 in Utah – "Let's do it," Gilmore said – it was 11 years later when Wieden tweaked the declaration and came up with an idea that would soon become iconic:

"Just Do It."

That was 1988. Nike, and Wieden+Kennedy, were never the same.

"It caught on because it was short, simple, easily understood and remembered and – to the point – a little bold and confident, like many of the Nike athletes at the time," said Lisa Delpy Neirotti, associate professor and director at George Washington University's School of Business. "Nike commercials and advertisements all supported the slogan. Nike and Wieden+Kennedy created a true integrated campaign.

"You did not see Nike without 'Just Do It.' The slogan became synonymous with the brand and vice versa."

Twenty-five years later, it's still Nike's slogan, although global chief marketing officer Davide Grasso says it's actually his company's mantra. Regardless, it remains catchy, and Nike will mark the anniversary with the launch of a new advertising campaign on Thursday called "Possibilities," highlighted by a 90-second commercial featuring LeBron James and Serena Williams and narrated by actor Bradley Cooper.

"At Nike, we say, 'If you have a body, you are an athlete,'" Grasso said via e-mail. "We want to inspire every athlete, whether it's inspiration to run their first mile or win their fifth MVP title."

"Just Do It" is a slogan that has achieved what companies hope for – a quick line that becomes so well-known it works its way into pop culture.

"Very seldom do taglines turn into lifestyles. It has energized a generation of athletes and it continues to do that. That's the uniqueness. It resonated far beyond what anybody could have expected," said David Carter, associate professor and executive director of the Sports Business Institute at USC Marshall School of Business.

Asked for a comparable slogan or even a derivative, Carter said, "As far television goes, you have Coca-Cola and Mean Joe Greene. But as far as taglines? This has to be at the top.

"You can look at other slogans the last 20, 30 years. That doesn't happen often."

Of course, the world has changed in a quarter of a century, especially in the digital world. Nike, for the first time, is using #justdoit on its social media channels.

Yet the ubiquitous tagline, which has thrived on being open to interpretation, has endured even as others have tried to come up with their own memorable slogans. Under Armour's "Protect This House" and adidas' "Impossible is Nothing" echo some of the same qualities, but neither has overtaken "Just Do It."

"Not only does it still work, on a lot of levels, but its staying power – it's very clear it's still relevant," Carter said. "When you say 'Just Do It,' it's very clear what it represents. Very few (slogans) stand the test of time."