Nike's "Just Do It" slogan is 20 years old. As part of the anniversary, the sneaker giant is planning a monumental global campaign around the Olympics featuring athletes in past campaigns. But the milestone also led a number of marketing experts to reminisce on the tagline's success.
Dan Wieden, co-founder of Portland ad firm Wieden+Kennedy, first came up with "Do It" as a "connective device" evoking an athlete's transformation into a true competitor. Later, he added "just" for emphasis.
"We're usually not big ones for taglines," Mr. Wieden explained in a 1989 interview with The Oregonian. "But because we were doing so many spots and the look had to be different, we felt we needed to have some cement to the thing. We felt 'Just Do It' would work for those at the competitive level as well as for people interested only in fitness."
Speaking to The Oregonian last week, marketers said the phrase memorialized Nike's image to consumers.
"It was quick, easy, cocky, to the point, and a bit irreverent, all of which Nike is," said Peter Moore, who designed the Air Jordan logo for Nike.
"It's an immediate call to action with no thinking involved," said Portland State assistant marketing professor Jill Mosteller.
Bill Borders, co-founder of Portland ad agency Borders, Perrin & Norrander, also said the tagline spoke to the many who ever procrastinated about exercising.
"It is essentially a time-worn expression that had been around for ages," Mr. Borders said. "But it lifts that phrase out of common usage and breathes new life into it."
But Steve Cone, author of the new book, Powerlines: Words That Sell Brands, Grip Fans and Sometimes Change History, believes one key to the success of "Just Do It" is because Nike deployed the slogan consistently and effectively across many media, without altering it.
"To be effective, a tagline should project personality and attitude," said Mr. Cone, chief marking officer for Epsilon. "Nike's line does that in spades. Most lines today do not."
Discussion Question: Why did "Just do it" work so successfully for Nike initially, and why does it still work today? Can you name a few other popular slogans today that do a particularly good job supporting their brands, and why? Ultimately, what's the key to successful taglines?