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Swoosh
 
 
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Swoosh is the symbol of the athletic shoe and clothing manufacturer Nike
Nike, Inc.

Nike, Inc. is a major Public company sportswear and equipment supplier based in the United States. The company is headquartered in Beaverton, Oregon, near the Portland metropolitan area of Oregon....
. It is among the most easily recognized brand
Brand

A brand is a collection of symbols, experiences and associations connected with a product, a service, a person or any other artifact or entity....
 logos
Logo

A logo is a graphical element that, together with its logotype form a trademark or commercial brand. Typically, a logo's design is for immediate recognition....
 in the world.

History
The Nike "swoosh" is a design created in 1971 by Carolyn Davidson
Carolyn Davidson

Carolyn Davidson is the creator of the Nike, Inc. swoosh....
, a graphic design
Graphic design

The term graphic design can refer to a number of artistic and professional disciplines which focus on visual communication and presentation. Various methods are used to create and combine symbols, images and/or words to create a visual representation of ideas and messages....
 student at Portland State University
Portland State University

Portland State University is a public state urban university located in downtown Portland, Oregon, United States. Founded in 1946, it has the largest overall enrollment of any university in the state of Oregon, including undergraduate and graduate students....
. She met Phil Knight
Phil Knight

Philip Hampson Knight is an United States billionaire, and the co-founder and Chairman of Nike, Inc.. He resigned as the company's chief executive officer in 2004, while retaining the position of chairman of the board....
 while he was teaching accounting classes and she started doing some freelance work for his company, Blue Ribbon Sports (BRS).

BRS needed a new brand for a new line of athletic
Athletic

Athletic may refer to:* An athlete, or sportsperson* Athletic director, a position at many American universities and schools* Athletic type, a physical/psychological type in the classification of Ernst Kretschmer...
 footwear
Footwear

Footwear consists of garments worn on the foot, for protective clothing against the environment, and adornment. Socks and other hosiery are worn between the feet and the footwear, except for Sandal s and flip flops ....
 it was preparing to introduce in 1972.






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Nike Logo Orange
Swoosh is the symbol of the athletic shoe and clothing manufacturer Nike
Nike, Inc.

Nike, Inc. is a major Public company sportswear and equipment supplier based in the United States. The company is headquartered in Beaverton, Oregon, near the Portland metropolitan area of Oregon....
. It is among the most easily recognized brand
Brand

A brand is a collection of symbols, experiences and associations connected with a product, a service, a person or any other artifact or entity....
 logos
Logo

A logo is a graphical element that, together with its logotype form a trademark or commercial brand. Typically, a logo's design is for immediate recognition....
 in the world.

History


The Nike "swoosh" is a design created in 1971 by Carolyn Davidson
Carolyn Davidson

Carolyn Davidson is the creator of the Nike, Inc. swoosh....
, a graphic design
Graphic design

The term graphic design can refer to a number of artistic and professional disciplines which focus on visual communication and presentation. Various methods are used to create and combine symbols, images and/or words to create a visual representation of ideas and messages....
 student at Portland State University
Portland State University

Portland State University is a public state urban university located in downtown Portland, Oregon, United States. Founded in 1946, it has the largest overall enrollment of any university in the state of Oregon, including undergraduate and graduate students....
. She met Phil Knight
Phil Knight

Philip Hampson Knight is an United States billionaire, and the co-founder and Chairman of Nike, Inc.. He resigned as the company's chief executive officer in 2004, while retaining the position of chairman of the board....
 while he was teaching accounting classes and she started doing some freelance work for his company, Blue Ribbon Sports (BRS).

BRS needed a new brand for a new line of athletic
Athletic

Athletic may refer to:* An athlete, or sportsperson* Athletic director, a position at many American universities and schools* Athletic type, a physical/psychological type in the classification of Ernst Kretschmer...
 footwear
Footwear

Footwear consists of garments worn on the foot, for protective clothing against the environment, and adornment. Socks and other hosiery are worn between the feet and the footwear, except for Sandal s and flip flops ....
 it was preparing to introduce in 1972. Knight approached Davidson for design ideas, and she agreed to provide them, charging a rate of $2 per hour.

In June 1971, Davidson presented a number of design options to Knight and other BRS executives, and they ultimately selected the mark now known globally as the Swoosh. Davidson submitted a bill for $35 for her work. (In 1983, Knight gave Davidson a diamond Swoosh ring and an envelope filled with Nike stock
STOCK

Software for fixed assets management and stock control developed in 2004. Stocktaking process is carried using a hand-held mobile terminal equipped with barcode reader or RFID technology....
 to express his gratitude.)

In June 1972, the first running shoes bearing the Swoosh were introduced at the U.S. Track and Field Olympic
Olympic Games

The Olympic Games are an international multi-sport event established for both summer and winter sports. There have been two generations of the Olympic Games; the first were the Ancient Olympic Games held at Olympia, Greece, Greece....
 Trials in Eugene, Oregon
Eugene, Oregon

The city of Eugene is the county seat of Lane County, Oregon, Oregon, United States. It is located at the south end of the Willamette Valley, at the confluence of the McKenzie River and Willamette River rivers, about 60 miles east of the Oregon Coast....
. Nike continues to use the brand today.

(All materials cited from an article on www.nikebiz.com called "Origin of the Swoosh.")

Much of the above information is corroborated on the Nike Canada official website.

Criticism

Critics of Nike and brand logos in general sometimes derogatorily call the symbol the Swooshtika or Swooshstika in reference to the Nazi Swastika
Swastika

The swastika is an equilateral cross with its arms bent at Angle#Types of angles, in either right-facing form or its mirrored left-facing form....
.