As the summer draws to a close, I find myself reminiscing about my holiday in Athens. Casually wandering beneath the blazing morning sun around the ancient ruins of the Acropolis where I stumbled upon the Temple of Nike. Instantly, my mind jumped to the familiar brand, the iconic swoosh logo and the bold “Just Do It” tagline. Until that moment, I’d never considered how deeply the brand had been formulated on the basis of ancient history.
Curious, I dug a little deeper to discover that Nike was the Greek goddess who embodied victory in all endeavours. It’s a powerful foundation for a global sportswear brand, leveraging ancient mythology to evoke the timeless strength and aspirational energy they want to portray to their customers.
The goddess is often depicted with wings, a symbol of speed and triumph that is subtly echoed in the sports brand’s swoosh logo, a textbook example of a modern emblem that has been intentionally grounded in ancient symbolism. With this now in mind, it’s little wonder how they became a household name!
Back in the office, sharing my discovery sparked a range of reactions from surprise and intrigue to the inevitable “I already knew that.” But what stood out most was a shared sense of respect and admiration for the depth of thinking behind the Nike brand, and how its story has endured through time.
This level of thoughtful, strategic storytelling is exactly what our creative team brings to every brand project. Working closely with our clients, we breathe life into their brand aspirations to resonate with their customers and drive real commercial impact.
Written by Freya Varney, Senior Account Manager at Big Orange Media