In spring of 1972, the first shoe with the NIKE SWOOSH was introduced.....the rest is history!Nike was founded by Phil Knight in the 60s, but at that time he called it "Blue Ribbon Sports". The name Nike and its trademark swoosh design were brought about later, in 1971. Drawing from Greek mythology, Knight named his company Nike, after the goddess of victory. Thus, the Nike name provided the company with a strong association and image, especially appropriate for a sports gear company, which positions itself in the market as a leader of sport footwear and uses the greatest athletes and the record of their achievements in its advertising. The swoosh logo was originally developed by a graphic designer, Carolyn Davidson in 1971. She was one of 35 people who made suggestions as to what logo to use for the organization. The owners met and agreed on Davidson's design, taking into account her conceptual thinking about the wings of the Greek goddess Nike According to Davidson, Knight asked for a design that suggested movement- originally disliking the swoosh she submitted, but as Knight had deadlines to meet, he ended up using it saying "I don't love it, but it will grow on me". As the time passed, the Swoosh logo has become synonymous with the company. Together with Just Do It slogan, the Swoosh logo perfectly expresses the essence of the Nike brand and its philosophy. They show people the way to the determination, needed for reaching a desired mark in their sporting activities. It expresses well a high ambition and a will for victory, which the Nike Company made a part of its brand image and corporate culture.
(The SWOOSH logo is a graphic design created by Carolyn Davidson in 1971. It represents the wing of the Greek Goddess NIKE.Carolyn Davidson was a student at Portland State University in advertising. She met Phil Knight while he was teaching accounting classes and she started doing some freelance work for his company.Phil Knight asked Carolyn to design a logo that could be placed on the side of a shoe. She handed him the SWOOSH, he handed her $35.00.)
Based on its company name, they selected an apple as its main form of branding. Initially, the logo depicted a small apple shape sitting under a tree with Apple Computer Co set into the frame of the picture. It is this apple that has continued to be used. The first logo design was perceived to be a bit too complex and hard to view, so Regis McKenna worked on the logo some years later and added a "bite mark" to symbolize the concept of seduction of the customers and the marketplace in general. Next, the monochrome version was replaced with the rainbow-colored logo as a reference to the Biblical story of Adam and Eve in which the apple represents the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge. It brings to mind that people must pursue their dreams. While this was not initially a deliberate goal, it did encourage business and consumers to consider the Apple brand for the first time and was successful in generating increased profits.
Not a very romantic start but who says that a soft drink maker needs a dash of romance to be successful? In fact the beginnings of Coca Cola were far from romantic because it was meant to be a patent medicine invented by John Pemberton who was a pharmacist. Pemberton took his medicine to Jacobs Pharmacy and the taster at the pharmacy judged it as excellent. Asa Chandler, a local businessman, eventually bought the formula from Pemberton. As for the Coca Cola logo and how it started, accounts say that it was Pembertons bookkeeper, Frank Mason Robinson, who designed it in 1885. Cursive script is what describes the logo but more specifically, the letters are of the Spencerian typeface, said to be the predominant form of writing adopted by American bookkeepers during that era. Robinsons script has survived to this day, earning recognition as one of the more famous scripted logos in the world. He believed that the two Cs in the name would generate distinction for the companys products. Fact is, the Coca Cola logo has been hailed as one of the worlds most successful brands. It is now 120 years old, and if someone was interested in acquiring the rights to it, the brand alone would cost something like over $67 billion. What makes the Coca Cola logo an icon? According to Michael Burns who quoted James Wheatley, the following elements contribute to this iconic quality: the white lettering against a bright red background, the curvy letters, roll-of-the-tongue name and of course the ever sexy bottle (described by some as the hobble skirt bottle). The logos impact cannot be under-estimated. Wheatley said, A flash of red and a curved white line proved enough to get people thinking about their favourite fizzy pop. To summarize the elemental aspects of the Coke logo: colors are red and white, letters are cursive script (Spencerian), the 2 Cs stand out, shape of the logo is either rectangular or circular. As if the logo and brand werent enough, there is now what people call Cokelore to prove that a string of urban legends came up as a result of Coca Cola fame. For example, that Coca Cola invented Santa Claus is highly plausible. That Coca Cola was once accused of being anti-Semitic may have also been true because it refused to do business in Israel once upon a time. And that it used to contain cocaine is not such a far-fetched idea because Pemberton did say his patent invention was meant to be a medicine.
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