“Just Do It.™” Three concise words that not only comprise one of the most recognizable slogans in advertising history but have transformed Nike into an emblem of athleticism. According to Nike company lore, the slogan was coined quite unintentionally in 1988 at a meeting hosted by Wieden and Kennedy, Nike’s advertising agency. Dan Weiden, speaking admiringly of Nike’s can-do attitude to a group of Nike executives, reportedly gushed, “You Nike guys, you just do it.” And the rest, as they say, is advertising history.
Thirty years later, juxtaposed next to Nike’s indelible “swoosh,” the “Just Do It” slogan is still deeply imprinted on our collective brand consciousness. I felt the sway of Nike’s brand as I eyed a new pair of cross-trainers during a shopping trip. “You’ll like them,” the salesman assured me, “they’re really athletic.” Really athletic. My mind raced with images of Sporty Me. Suddenly, I was transformed into a vigorous jogger. Or perhaps the shoes would morph me into an aerobics maven who lurks under professional clothes. Maybe I could “just do” the physical lifestyle that hectic real-life keeps me from pursuing. My mental model was seized with possibilities.
It is this mental model, mine and countless others, on which Nike has spent millions. Through each well-orchestrated media campaign, the company reinforces this mental model. Energetic, healthy Nike athletes sweat across the television screen. Countless print advertisements capture moments in athletic lives, each subliminally reinforcing the brand identity that Nike is trying to forge. And in the age of social, Nike dominates digital marketing and social engagement against its competitors. According to RivalIQ’s analytics, Nike outpaces other media channels in spades.
The idea of mental model is not unique to marketing. I was first introduced to mental models while working in user experience design. In design, as in marketing, a mental model is the composite set of impressions and assumptions that form a user’s view of an offering. Our mental models are the prime targets of identity-oriented marketing strategies.
In the case of Nike, its brand has become an emblem of athleticism. Through the repetitious use of well-placed media, Nike has increased the chance that a consumer who self-identifies as an “athlete” will prefer Nike’s products in the quest for a sporty life. To capture our mental models, Nike has linked its brand with our respective identities in such a way that the company’s shoes, sportswear, and accessories not only help strengthen the athletic self-identity but communicate it to others as well.
My new cross-trainers now safely sit in their shoebox in my home, locked in a world of unrealized images of an athletic me. I keep promising myself that I’ll soon take them out of the box, strap them on, and head out to “just do it” to unleash the athlete Nike knows I am.