"Just Do It" - 1988
Company: Nike
Ad agency: Wieden+Kennedy
When "Just Do It" was coined by Wieden+Kennedy in 1988, it was perhaps the pinnacle of what would be a 21-year relationship between Wieden+Kennedy and Nike. The slogan was meant to capture the overall culture at Nike, the highlights of which, executives said, were a willingness to take risks and just a touch of rebellion. It came to represent not just an athletic brand, but also a lifestyle that meshed easily with the popular culture of the time.
This ad for Nike Air Force STS shows how serious Wieden+Kennedy took the lifestyle component of the campaign, moving away from the idea that Nike was simply selling sneakers: The copy in the ad compares the basketball court to the battlefield and pushes players to "stand your ground."
NEXT: "Surfer" - 1994
