Information is copy from www.info.nike.com.

Contact me at: nike~@rocketmail.com

THE SWOOSH

The SWOOSH logo is a graphic design created by Caroline Davidson in 1971. It represents the wing of the Greek goddess NIKE.

Caroline Davidson was a student at Portland State University interested in advertising. She met Phil Knight while he was teaching accounting classes and she started doing some freelance work for his company.

Phil Knight asked Caroline to design a logo that could be placed on the side of a shoe. She handed him the SWOOSH, he handed her $35.

In spring of 1972, the first shoe with the NIKE SWOOSH was introduced … the rest is history.

NIKE: THE GREEK GODDESS OF VICTORY

NIKE, pronounced NI-KEY, is the winged goddess of victory according to Greek mythology. She sat at the side of Zeus, the ruler of the Olympic pantheon, in Olympus. A mystical presence, symbolizing victorious encounters, NIKE presided over history's earliest battlefields.

A Greek would say, "When we go to battle and win, we say it is NIKE."

Synonymous with honored conquest, NIKE is the 20th century footwear that lifts the world's greatest athletes to new levels of mastery and achievement. The NIKE SWOOSH embodies the spirit of the winged goddess who inspired the most courageous and chivalrous warriors at the dawn of civilization.

NIKE TIMELINE (1957-Present)

1957: The future co-founders of NIKE, Bill Bowerman and Phil Knight, meet at the University of Oregon in Eugene, America’s running citadel. Bowerman, already one of the top U.S. track coaches, and Knight, a middle distance runner on Bowerman’s track team, begin a relationship that will change the face of sports and fitness.

1960: After active duty with the U.S. Army Transportation Corps, Knight moves on to do post-graduate work in business at Stanford University in California. Bowerman continues tinkering with new designs for athletic shoes. Early tributes to Bowerman’s creative skills come when world-class runners from his U of O team and future Olympians break records in shoes he hand-crafted.

1962: Knight concludes his market research paper at Stanford with the assertion that low-priced, high-tech, well-merchandised exports from Japan could replace Germany’s domination of the U.S. athletic shoe industry. After receiving his MBA, Knight takes a world tour. Stopping in Japan, he contacts the Onitsuka Tiger company, manufacturer of quality athletic shoes, and convinces it of great marketing opportunities for its product in the U.S. When asked who he represents, Knight makes up a company name, giving birth to "Blue Ribbon Sports," the forerunner of NIKE.

1963: Knight’s first shipment of Tiger shoes, 200 in all, arrives in December.

1964: Knight and Bowerman join forces in the new enterprise, each contributing $500 to the partnership. Knight works for an accounting firm and in his spare time distributes the shoes from his family’s basement and at local and regional track meets. Grassroots promotions are born as runners don BRS shoes – many prototypes designed by Bowerman – and provide feedback to the company on concepts for future footwear development. BRS sells 1,300 pairs of Tiger running shoes, amounting to $8,000 in revenues.

1965: Jeff Johnson, a former track competitor of Knight’s, forsakes selling Adidas football shoes and becomes BRS’ first full-time employee. Total revenues are $20,000.

1966: With the majority of Tiger shoes being sold from the cars of a handful of employees, Johnson rents space next to a beauty parlor in Santa Monica, Calif., marking the opening of the company’s first retail outlet. It is here that Johnson begins handcrafting prototypes specifically for athletes. The result is shoes that will set the standard for athletic footwear in the future.

1967: Bowerman initiates the development of the Marathon, the first running shoe made with a lightweight, durable, nylon upper. Revenues begin to rise rapidly, and a sales office is opened in rooms behind a mortuary in Wellesley, Mass., to handle East Coast distribution.

1968: Made in Japan to Bowerman’s specifications, the Cortez running shoe is introduced and becomes one of Tiger’s largest-selling models. Johnson and Bowerman collaborate to create the Boston shoe, which incorporates the first full-length cushioned midsole, a radical innovation in running shoe design.

1969: Knight resigns his position as Assistant Professor of Business Administration at Portland State University to devote himself full time to the company. With 20 employees and several retail outlets, BRS approaches $300,000 in revenues.

1971: Frustrated with credit limits at local banks and a general lack of faith in his vision, Knight finds a new method of creative financing. Through the Bank of Tokyo, a trading company called Nissho Iwai introduces BRS to import letters of credit and lays a foundation for future rapid growth. With the help of Nissho Iwai, BRS manufactures its own shoe line and the Swoosh Design trademark is created. The night before the shoe boxes are to be printed, Johnson dreams the company’s new brand name, NIKE, the Greek Goddess of victory. A soccer/football shoe is the first NIKE model to hit the retail market. A NIKE T-shirt to promote the shoe becomes the first apparel item.

1972: BRS launches NIKE at the U.S. Olympic Trials after a distribution dispute leads to litigation and an eventual break in business relations between BRS and Onitsuka Tiger. The Moon Shoe debuts and runners catch their first glimpse of the Waffle outsole, which Bowerman created by pouring rubber into a kitchen waffle iron. Test pilot for the Waffle outsole is a promising young University of Oregon football player who would become a six-time Pro Bowl star – Dan Fouts. The patented outsole revolutionizes running by offering better traction in a lighter-weight, more durable shoe. Canada becomes BRS’ first foreign market. The company’s revenues hit $1.96 million, and the employees number 45.

1973: American record-holder Steve Prefontaine becomes the first major track athlete to wear NIKE brand shoes. He converts many of his fellow competitors to the young brand. Other top talents joining NIKE include Olympian Jon Anderson, who wins the Boston Marathon, and Ilie Nastase, who is ranked the top tennis professional in the world. The "Futures" booking program is introduced, allowing production forecasters to "make to order" and pre-finance while reducing risks of over inventory. Revenues reach $3.2 million.

1974: The Waffle Trainer is introduced featuring Coach Bowerman’s famous Waffle outsole. It quickly becomes the best-selling training shoe in the country. Jimmy Connors, without an endorsement contract, wins the Wimbledon and U.S. Open Championships wearing NIKE shoes and is ranked No. 1 in the world. BRS opens its first American manufacturing facility at Exeter, New Hampshire, and expands its operations to include Australia. The company now employs 250. Worldwide revenues reach $4.8 million.

1975: Track-and-field spike development leads to the creation of the Elite, one of NIKE’s best-fitting and best-selling racing and training shoes. Continued innovative research and development yields a rapidly growing line of athletic shoes designed and built to NIKE specifications. The bright future is dimmed when Steve Prefontaine dies before his time.

1976: At the Olympic Trials, NIKE shoes are seen in abundance for the first time, worn by young, rising stars in both middle- and long-distance events. The Eugene-based trials signal a promising future for the company’s promotional activities. Total revenues are $14.1 million.

1977: BRS starts Athletics West, the first U.S. track-and-field training club for Olympic contenders. BRS expands its manufacturing operations to factories in Taiwan and Korea. For the first time NIKE shoes are sold in Asia. Revenues increase to $28.7 million.

1978: Henry Rono of Kenya sets four world track records while wearing NIKE shoes, and tennis great John McEnroe signs an endorsement with the company. BRS changes its corporate name to NIKE, Inc. and opens a second American manufacturing plant at Saco, Maine. NIKE’s first children’s shoes, the popular Wally Waffle, Burt Bruin and Robbie Road Racer, are introduced. NIKE shoes are sold in South America, and agreements are signed with distributors in Europe. Revenues hit $71 million.

1979: NIKE introduces the Tailwind, the first running shoe with the technologically advanced, patented AIR-SOLE cushioning system. The manufacturing and marketing of the NIKE Apparel line begins. World headquarters are opened at 3900 S.W. Murray Blvd. in Beaverton, Oregon. World revenues reach $149 million, and NIKE becomes the most popular running shoe in America with nearly 50 percent of the running shoe market revenues. NIKE shod-runners hold every distance track record from 800 to 10,000 meters.

1980: NIKE offers 2 million shares of common stock to the public. The NIKE Sport Research and Development Lab opens in Exeter, N.H., and an East Coast footwear sales and distribution center begins operations in Greenland, N.H. Negotiations start with the People’s Republic of China for production of NIKE shoes there. While Phillies pitcher Steve Carlton brings NIKE baseball shoes to the fore, NIKE shoes become the No. 1 seller in Canada. Employees number 2,700 and revenues top $269 million.

1981: NIKE International Ltd. is formed to service a growing foreign market that reaches into more than 40 countries. The Swoosh Design trademark accompanies Alberto Salazar to a world record in the New York Marathon. Nissho Iwai and NIKE combine forces to form NIKE-Japan, while NIKE-England becomes the company’s first wholly owned foreign distributorship. Eager to provide retailers with the same personalized, technical assistance that marked the early years, the rapidly growing company appoints regional EKIN (NIKE spelled backward) representatives throughout the U.S. NIKE shoes are manufactured in 11 countries and with 3,000 employees, the company watches revenues soar to $457 million.

1982: Shoe development makes new strides as a NIKE-AIR basketball shoe, the Air Force I, and NIKE-AIR tennis shoe, the Air Ace, are introduced, bringing the number of models in the NIKE line to more than 200. England’s Aston Villa soccer team wins the English and European Cup championships in NIKE’s new soccer shoe. The Apparel line grows to nearly 200 styles and $70 million with the help of inventive, functional designs. NIKE’s total revenues are $693.6 million. The are 3,600 employees worldwide.

1983: Building murals and billboards of NIKE-endorsed athletes pop up throughout Los Angeles as part of the Cities Campaign, a pre-Olympic push coordinating product, advertising and merchandising, NIKE-shod Joan Benoit shatters the women’s world marathon record just four months before 23 NIKE-supported athletes capture medals in the inaugural World Track and Field Championships in Helsinki. The Destiny, the first high-tech running shoe for children, hits the market. Alberto Salazar becomes NIKE’s first apparel endorsee with his own high-tech athletic line. Revenues are at $867.2 million for FY ‘83, and there are 4,300 employees internationally.

1984: The Cities Campaign spreads to eight more major U.S. cities. Under the five-ringed Olympic symbol, Carl Lewis captures four gold medals, and Joan Benoit triumphs in the first women’s Olympic marathon. In all, 58 NIKE-supported athletes from around the globe take home 65 medals. With 4,100 employees in various locations, the company purchases land in Beaverton as the future site of NIKE’s corporate headquarters. International sales take off, increasing 70 percent to $158 million dollars in FY ‘84. Overall FY revenues reach $919.8 million.

1985: Chicago Bulls basketball rookie Michael Jordan endorses NIKE line of AIR JORDAN court shoes and specialized apparel. John McEnroe, dressed in his own exclusively designed NIKE garb, takes his tennis wear on a promotional "Tour Through America" and around the world. A New Products division is formed to handle the launching of innovative products, such as the Sock Racer, precursor to Dynamic-Fit technology. Reduced earnings cause a "belt tightening" to bring down general administration costs and reduction in inventory. Employees total 4,200.

1986: Revenues top the landmark billion-dollar mark, reaching $1.07 billion. NIKE charges into the tradition-bound sport of golf and changes the focus to one centered on performance athletic shoes. A high-quality line of tennis wear under the Wimbledon trademark is introduced. Michael Jordan, the scoring champ of the NBA and the league’s most dynamic player, remains the centerpiece of NIKE Basketball as the second generation of shoes under the AIR JORDAN label is introduced.

1987: Revenues dip to $877 million, but NIKE-AIR shoes successfully re-establish NIKE as the technological leader in the industry. The Air Max shoe, giving athletes their first look at NIKE-AIR cushioning, is introduced by the controversial "Revolution" ad campaign. Priscilla Welch, at age 42, is the first female finisher of the 1987 New York Marathon. She is also the first athlete to win a major victory in the new performance NIKE INTERNATIONAL Apparel. The Air Pegasus, a NIKE classic in its fourth generation, sells its 5 millionth pair. Walking takes off from an athletic base. Cross-Training emerges as the natural evolution of the fitness revolution, led by the Air Cross Trainer High shoe – cushioned enough for running and stable enough for court sports and aerobics. Internationally, the Soviet tennis endorsement agreement offers the chance to introduce NIKE products throughout the USSR.

1988: NIKE-AIR technology continues to be big news in sports and fitness. One of the most significant developments at NIKE since AIR-SOLE cushioning, the Footbridge stability device, successfully achieves the goal of streamlining stability shoes. The Air Stab is the first model to combine the Footbridge device with the AIR-SOLE cushioning. The result is the most stable, lightweight running shoe on the market. The third generation of AIR JORDAN shoes and apparel is launched with a personality ad campaign featuring the Mars Blackmon character. As a rookie, LA Raider Bo Jackson emerges as the third-leading rusher after playing in only half the season’s NFL games. This achievement comes after a stint with baseball’s Kansas City Royals. NIKE also breaks new ground with the acquisition of Cole-Haan. Revenues climb from $877 million to $1.2 billion.

1989: The Just Do It campaign experiences unprecedented success going into its second year. Tied to the Just Do It theme are the highly acclaimed "Bo Knows" commercials. NIKE continues to build sales through athlete endorsements and the "collections" approach to sales. The Andre Agassi denim tennis short and the latest AIR JORDAN basketball shoe are two reasons NIKE’s net income reaches a high of $167 million in 1989. Introduction of the ACG and AQUA GEAR collections, and SIDE 1 and i.e. brands, all spur growth and diversity. The end of the year sees NIKE begin to relocate to the new World Campus in Beaverton, Oregon.

1990: NIKE-AIR technology lifts NIKE to a position of preeminence – the No. 1 sports and fitness company in the world. Success of the "Bo Knows" ad campaign continues with "Family Reunion" – part of a $100 million advertising expenditure. The CROSS TRAINING Collection moves to the No. 2 position behind basketball. The burgeoning international market helps NIKE surpass $2 billion in consolidated revenue. Employees of NIKE, Inc. number 5,300 worldwide, including the staff at Tetra Plastics, acquired by NIKE to assure exclusive supply of one of the key products used to make AIR-SOLE units. The doors open to the NIKE World Campus, located in Beaverton, Oregon. The Campus sits on 74 acres and offers 570,000 square feet of breathtaking work space throughout seven buildings. Each building is named after a special athlete, such as Mike Schmidt, who retires in 1990 after 19 years of excellence for the Philadelphia Phillies ... and for NIKE. As the year ends, 180 Air technology sits poised for takeoff, launching yet another decade of innovation.

1991: NIKE increases its leadership to become the world’s first sports and fitness company to surpass $3 billion in total revenues. In the U.S., revenues top $2 billion, despite tough economic conditions. According to plan, it is innovation that leads the way. The revolutionary Air Huarache running shoe introduces Huarache Fit technology, the greatest breakthrough in shoe design since NIKE-AIR technology. Cross-training, first defined by NIKE in 1987, goes outdoors with the Air Mowabb shoe and NIKE F.I.T. apparel leaders in the responsive, environmentally tuned ALL CONDITIONS GEAR Collection. Continuation of the women’s print campaign makes national news throughout the year and is hailed as the most insightful advertising of its kind. Michael Jordan leads the Chicago Bulls to their first NBA Championship. Also in Chicago, Bo Jackson makes a dramatic comeback at the end of the White Sox season. Mike Powell breaks the world long jump record, which had stood for 23 years, in Tokyo. The sheer variety of achievements mirrors the breadth of NIKE’s growth around the world, as international revenues increase 80 percent, topping $860 million.

1992: What began in Eugene, Oregon, two decades before as a plan to help athletes run faster is now a $3.4 billion paradigm of sports and fitness innovation. Much of the drama is taking place on the international stage. Revenues from international markets increase 32 percent to more than $1 billion for the first time, making up 33 percent of total NIKE revenues. A major reason is the simple fact that athletes are winning championships in NIKE gear. Andre Agassi defies 50-1 odds to conquer Wimbledon. Lynn Jennings wins an unprecedented third consecutive World Cross-Country Championship and an Olympic medal. Six NIKE basketball superstars lead the Dream Team to a flawless Olympic performance. Mike Conley triple jumps to a gold medal in Barcelona wearing NIKE apparel. Quincy Watts wins the 400 meters. In fact, every medalist on the USA track-and-field team at the Olympics wears NIKE apparel. And, they will do so at every major track-and-field event into the next century as a result of an exclusive agreement between NIKE and The Athletic Congress. In the United States, Michael Jordan leads the Chicago Bulls to a second straight NBA Championship before the home fans. These same fans visit NIKETOWN Chicago-60,000 square feet of retail innovation highlighting product advances that have become industry standards, such as NIKE-AIR and Huarache Fit technologies. As NIKE continues an aggressive plan for international expansion through product excellence, one thing remains constant: We’re still helping athletes run faster.

1993: It is a year of memorable moments for NIKE athletes. Michael Jordan leads the Bulls to their third consecutive world championship, then retires. Jim Courier wins his fourth Grand Slam in Australia. Kenyan running sensation Cosmas N’DETI wins his first Boston Marathon. Joe Carter leaps into World Series history. Troy Aikman wins the Super Bowl and the MVP honors that go with it. Bo Jackson comes back from hip replacement surgery to hit a home run in his first official at-bat. And the greatest pitcher in the history of baseball, Nolan Ryan, leaves the mound after 27 years. Meanwhile, Charles Barkley stirs the pot by saying "I am not a role model" in another groundbreaking ad. He also continues his battle with Godzilla in a TV campaign that proves very popular throughout the Asian market. Consumers get a good look at RunWalk, Total Body Conditioning, and two new NIKETOWN stores, one in Orange County and one in Atlanta. NIKE forms N.E.A.T.(NIKE Environmental Action Team) to pursue innovative technologies such as the process that reconstitutes old athletic footwear into recycled materials, NIKE REGRIND, used in sports courts and running tracks. And Air Max technology is more cushioned, more responsive and more visible than ever before. All this pushes NIKE to its sixth consecutive record year with revenues reaching $3.9 billion.

1994: NIKE launches P.L.A.Y., Participate in the Lives of America’s Youth, a multi-million dollar effort aimed at encouraging activism on the part of kids and adults to promote healthy, active lifestyles among our nation’s youth. Meanwhile, Troy Aikman wins another Super Bowl, Cosmas N’DETI wins another Boston Marathon, and Michael Jordan spends his summer living out a boyhood baseball dream. Riding the success of outdoor boots, sandals and the performance fabric of NIKE F.I.T., All Conditions Gear becomes its own NIKE division. Air Max shoes introduce dual-pressure cushioning and stability. Globalization continues with the formation of a new Eastern European region based in Vienna. In the Asia-Pacific region, NIKE assumes distribution rights in Japan and Korea, adding approximately $270 million in revenues. In Latin America, Chile and Argentina join the NIKE-owned family, while the top 10 players on the flamboyant Brazilian soccer team sign with NIKE as the World Cup comes to America.