A convicted assassin, sentenced to dying, stands getting ready to his closing moments. The air is thick with pressure, the clock ticks ominously, and the environment within the room seems like one thing out of a Hitchcock film. His final phrases? “Let’s do it.”
Sounds just like the opening scene of a true-crime Netflix documentary, proper?
Nicely, consider it or not, that is the weird origin story behind Nike’s iconic “Simply Do It” slogan—a phrase that has since transcended billboards and sneakers to change into a world mantra for motivation, empowerment, and let’s face it, guilt-tripping us into hitting the fitness center.
Sure, that was me
Wait… What?
Yeah, it sounds nuts, I do know. However buckle up, as a result of we’re about to dive into how a couple of chilling phrases muttered by a person on dying row had been rebranded by one of many world’s greatest corporations, turning one thing grim right into a goldmine for health, trend, and motivation fanatics all over the place.
So, seize your Nikes, and let’s run by means of the wild, unconventional journey of how this occurred.
Spoiler alert: It’s a advertising masterclass in making magic from insanity.
The Man Behind the Insanity
So, who precisely was this man with a Hitchcockian stare?
Meet Gary Gilmore. He wasn’t precisely the form of man you’d count on to encourage a motivational slogan. Within the late Seventies, Gilmore was convicted of two cold-blooded murders in Utah and have become the primary particular person executed in the USA after a 10-year moratorium on the dying penalty.
An excerpt from a newspaper
Gilmore’s final phrases had been nothing notably poetic — “Let’s do it” —a seemingly unremarkable assertion that would simply as simply have been uttered earlier than a highschool basketball sport as earlier than his execution by firing squad.
However right here’s the place the story takes a pointy left flip into the world of promoting genius.
Enter “Nike” – The Model
Quick ahead to the late ’80s. Nike wasn’t but the athletic big we all know at the moment. Certain, they had been doing okay, however they wanted one thing massive, one thing that might solidify their model within the annals of sports activities tradition. That they had the gear, the athletes, and a few nice sneakers, however they wanted a slogan, a rallying cry that might make individuals sit up, listen, and—most significantly—purchase.
Enter promoting legend Dan Wieden. Yep, the man behind the magic. Whereas brainstorming concepts, Wieden recalled Gilmore’s eerie final phrases. He tweaked them barely, turning “Let’s do it” into “Simply Do It.” A minor change, certain, but it surely made all of the distinction.
Watch this YouTube video to study extra about Dan Wielden’s distinctive strategy –
Now, I do know what you’re pondering—why on earth would Nike need to affiliate their model with a convicted killer’s closing phrases?
Drake is Nikeee
Isn’t that, nicely, tremendous darkish?
However right here’s the factor about advertising (and life, if we’re being philosophical right here): typically, it’s the daring, sudden dangers that result in the best rewards.
The Marketing campaign That Modified It All
When Nike unveiled their “Simply Do It” marketing campaign in 1988, it was an immediate hit. The slogan wasn’t simply catchy; it struck a nerve with individuals. It was easy, direct, and, dare I say, a bit cheeky. However greater than that, it tapped right into a common feeling—whether or not you had been a seasoned marathoner or somebody simply making an attempt to muster the motivation to get off the sofa and go for a stroll.
The brilliance behind “Simply Do It” wasn’t nearly health—it was about life. It was a name to motion, a no-excuses mantra that would apply to something. Having second ideas about beginning that new enterprise? Simply do it. Too drained to work out? Simply do it. Fearful of failing? Nicely… you get the thought.
Nike’s daring transfer didn’t simply assist them promote sneakers. It cemented their place as a cultural juggernaut. They weren’t nearly athletics anymore—they had been about angle, resilience, and chasing after your goals, regardless of how far out of attain they appeared.
Popular culture was fast to catch on. The slogan appeared all over the place, from motivational posters to music movies to the conversations of on a regular basis individuals. Abruptly, “Simply Do It” wasn’t simply an advert—it was a lifestyle.
Something Can Be Reworked into Gold — If You Dare
Now, let’s pause for a second and take into consideration what Nike did right here. They took one thing as morbid and unsettling because the final phrases of a convicted killer and, with a bit creativity, turned it into some of the profitable advertising campaigns of all time. If that doesn’t present the facility of daring to experiment and assume exterior the field, I don’t know what does.
The purpose is, inspiration can come from probably the most sudden locations, and typically, the riskiest concepts yield the most important rewards. In fact, you’ve received to deal with it with care—turning one thing darkish into one thing motivating with out being tone-deaf is a fragile dance, to say the least.
However as Nike proved, for those who’re daring sufficient to take that leap, the sky’s the restrict.
Wrapping It Up: From Execution to Excellence
So, what’s the lesson right here?
Easy – Don’t maintain again.
On this planet of selling—or heck, in life—it’s usually the concepts that appear the craziest, probably the most unconventional, that find yourself being the game-changers. Nike might have simply performed it secure with a generic slogan, however as an alternative, they took a daring danger that paid off in methods nobody might have anticipated.
*BTW, what’s your favourite pair of Nike sneakers. Gimme a glimpse into your uncommon assortment. *
Subsequent time you’re brainstorming an concept or hesitating to pursue one thing daring, keep in mind Gary Gilmore’s notorious phrases—or, higher but, Nike’s model: Simply Do It.
Certain, possibly your concept received’t be impressed by one thing fairly as weird, however the message stays the identical. On the subject of creativity and success, typically, you’ve simply gotta take the leap and see the place it lands.
And who is aware of? You may simply come upon the subsequent massive factor.
So, till then-
This text was initially printed by Vishaal Grizzly on HackerNoon.
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