Phil Knight Celebrates Nike's 50th Anniversary by Reminiscing the Creation of the Swoosh
Recalling the history-making moment that led to Nike.
Over the weekend, Nike celebrated its 50th anniversary. Founders Phil Knight and Bill Bowerman famously created the brand on May 1, 1972.
In honor of the half-century milestone for sportswear giant Nike, Knight took to Instagram to recall the exact moment that led to the inception of the brand. The plans for Nike was officially set in motion when Onitsuka Co. terminated its contract with Blue Ribbon Sports and Knight felt the “gut punch” from the announcement. In a letter dated back to May 1, 1972, Knight shared on Instagram how Nike came about,
“I remember thinking, ‘This is it – this is the moment. This is the moment we’ve been waiting for. Our moment. No more working for someone else. If we’re going to succeed or fail, we should do so on our own terms, with our own ideas, with our own brand.’
And just like that, Nike was born.”
Over time, Nike has grown to be a global brand thanks to successful partnerships with sports giants including Michael Jordan, LeBron James and Kobe Bryant, just to name a few. Knight added in his letter, “We had a dream, our love of sports, a ton of ambition, a trunk full of running shoes, and a big Swoosh on all of them. The rest is history. Our history.” Today, the company is worth over $194 billion USD and continues to expand season to season. Take a read at Knight’s tribute letter to Nike below.
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In case you missed it, Nike features Chenille-textured Swooshes to its Blazer Mid ‘77.
