The first Nike ad to carry the words “Just Do It” did not show a star. It debuted on July 1, 1988, and starred Walt Stack, an 80-year-old San Francisco runner who ran 17 miles across the Golden Gate Bridge every day. The agency was Wieden+Kennedy in Portland, Oregon.
The line was written by W+K cofounder Dan Wieden. He has said it was inspired by the last words of Gary Gilmore, a death row inmate in Utah, who said “Let’s do it,” and that he changed the wording to avoid crediting him.
The results were large. From 1988 to 1998, Nike’s share of the North American domestic sport-shoe market rose from 18 percent to 43 percent, and its worldwide sales grew from $877 million to $9.2 billion, according to Wikipedia. In 1999, Ad Age ranked “Just Do It” as the second-best ad slogan of the 20th century, behind “A diamond is forever.”
The campaign was aimed at everyone, regardless of age, sex or fitness level, and it made sneakers a fashion statement. Thirty years later Nike used the same line for its “Dream Crazy” ad, which shows how much a single line can carry.
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