“Just Do It” is the catchy phrase that comes to the minds of millions whenever Nike is mentioned. However, this wasn’t always the brand’s motto, and it was over 20 years before it came out of the genius Dan Wieden, head of the Wieden & Kennedy ad agency, according to Insider.
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Wieden recalls in an interview for the documentary “Art and Copy” (posted on YouTube) that the slogan was inspired by a man who was being executed by a firing squad in the state of Utah. The condemned man was Gary Gilmore, and according to an Associated Press report in the Daily News, his final words to the firing squad and to anyone else were simple: “Let’s do it.” Wieden explains in “Art and Copy” that these words stood out to him, specifically the “do it” part, and so “Just Do It” came to be. The slogan was first utilized in a 1988 Nike commercial (also on YouTube) featuring an 80-year-old man, Walt Stack, who said he runs 17 miles every morning. With their rather ominous history, the words “Just Do It” appeared in this well-lit and inspirational advertisement, and continued to be utilized by Nike.
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