The Evolution Of The Nike Logo: Who Created the Swoosh?
365 days of fashion: the e-ncyclopedia of fashion
Thursday, May 30, 2024
Nike is recognizable by its iconic ‘Swoosh” logo, which serves as one of the key brand’s identifiers. However, this wasn’t the first logo of the sportswear company. In fact, Nike used to have 4 different logos before it adopted the current solo Swoosh version. Let’s discover how Nike’s logo has evolved through the years.
1964: Founded by Bill Bowerman and Phil Knight on January 25, 1964, the company was originally named “Blue Ribbon Sports”, and this was their first logo. On May 30, 1971, the company officially became Nike, Inc.
1971: The famous “Swoosh” arrived and became recognized all over the world. But do you know who was the mastermind behind this logo?
It was created by Carolyn Davidson, a student of graphic design at Portland State University. In 1969, she met Phil Knight who was an assistant professor there, and told him she was looking for some extra money to afford her oil painting classes. So Knight entrusted her with a project - designing a new logo for his own line of athletic shoes.
For a little context, Blue Ribbon Sports initially imported Onitsuka Tiger basketball shoes to the United States. The co-founders then had the idea to add an original line to the imported sneakers, so they needed an original logo and name, which was eventually designed by Carolyn Davidson.
If you are wondering why Carolyn Davidson came up with the idea of the swoosh,