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What we’re showing
This graphic illustrates the evolution of various fashion companies’ logos over time.
Nike’s origin story
Nike began its journey as Blue Ribbon Sports in 1964, founded by Bill Bowerman and Phil Knight, aiming to import affordable and high-quality athletic shoes from Japan. In 1971, they rebranded as "Nike", inspired by the Greek goddess of victory.
The famous swoosh logo was designed in 1971 by Carolyn Davidson, who was a graphic design student at the Portland State University at the time.
Adidas' origin story
The story of Adidas begins in Germany 100 years ago, when two brothers, Adolf and Rudolf Dassler, began making sports shoes using their family name as the brand. Their business grew, and eventually the two brothers went their own way, each naming their new companies using the same naming convention. Adolf Dassler = Adidas, and Rudolf Dassler = Ruda (which would eventually morph into Puma, also a successful brand today).
The three stripe branding was present right from the beginning, as seen on the shoe in the 1949 version of the logo. As the lore goes, Dassler didn't choose three stripes for any deep symbolic reason. Rather, the founder tested a number of stripe options, and felt that three showed up the nicest in photographs. Today, the three stripes have taken center stage in the brand's identity.