Nike
by Phil Knight and Bill Bowerman · brand-system · 1971
blue ribbon sports, founded january 25, 1964 by phil knight and bill bowerman, became nike inc. on may 30, 1971. carolyn davidson, a graphic design student at portland state university, designed the swoosh in 1971 after knight asked for a stripe that had something to do with movement. davidson was paid $35 for 17.5 hours of work, though she said she worked more hours on the design. bowerman created the waffle trainer sole pattern in 1971 by pouring rubber into a waffle iron.
referenced
- Nike · Greek mythologynot yet generatedgenerate →
the name was suggested by employee jeff johnson after the greek goddess of victory.
“Jeff Johnson, Nike's first full time employee, suggested calling the firm "Nike," named after the Greek winged goddess of victory, and Blue Ribbon Sports was subsequently renamed Nike in 1971.”
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producer lineage
- Onitsuka Tiger · Onitsuka Co.not yet generatedgenerate →
knight and bowerman distributed onitsuka tiger shoes as blue ribbon sports from 1964 until their split in 1971.
“When Knight finally received the shoe samples, he mailed two pairs to Bowerman at the University of Oregon, hoping to gain both a sale and an influential endorsement.”
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visual reference
- Swoosh · Carolyn Davidsonnot yet generatedgenerate →
davidson designed the logo in 1971 for $35, explicitly shaped to resemble the wing of nike, the greek goddess.
“She gave him five different designs, one of which was the Swoosh which resembles a wing and hints at Nike, the Greek goddess of victory.”
source ↗ - waffle ironnot yet generatedgenerate →
bowerman used his wife's waffle iron in 1970 or 1971 to create the waffle sole pattern for nike's first shoes.
“Bowerman designed several Nike shoes, but is best known for ruining his wife's Belgian waffle iron in 1970 or 1971, experimenting with the idea of using waffle-ironed rubber to create a new sole for footwear that would grip but be lightweight.”
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