History

    Nike, originally known as Blue Ribbon Sports (BRS), was founded by University of Oregon track athlete Phil Knight and his coach Bill Bowerman in January 1964. The company initially operated as a its distributor for Japanese shoe maker Onitsuka Tiger, making most sales at track meets out of Knight's automobile. However, the relationship between BRS and Onitsuka Tiger came to an end at 1971. Then the name of the company officially changed into Nike and prepared to launch its own line of footwear.

     In 1976, the company hired John Brown and Partners as its first advertising agency. The following year, the agency created the first “brand ad” for Nike, called “There is no finish line.” Nike didn’t run TV ads until 1982. Previously, Nike concentrated on sponsorships and celebrity athletes’ endorsements. Nike’s steady competition in the 1980s was Reebok. To break any similarities they had to Reebok, Nike began promoting its shoes as fashion accessories. It was agency co-founder Dan Wieden who coined the now-famous slogan "Just Do It" for a 1988 Nike ad campaign, which was chosen by Advertising Age as one of the top five ad slogans of the 20th century. With this catchy slogan, Nike has dominated the sportswear business over the world afterwards.