THE ART OF BRANDING
What's the origin of the Nike brand?
Published on February 11, 2024
Image: Nik Shuliahin
Naming a brand is not just a trivial exercise in creativity; it's a strategic decision that can make or break a business. Behind every successful brand name lies a carefully crafted narrative that resonates with its target audience.
Join us as we unravel the stories behind these 10 iconic brand names, showcasing the art and science of naming in the business world.
Winged Victory
Image: Chris Henry
Co-founder Phil Knight was inspired by Nike, the Greek goddess of victory, to create the brand that today symbolizes athleticism and motion. The deity was often portrayed in ancient art as a winged woman, and it was associated with victory in any field.
With this in mind, and to complete the brand’s image, Knight contacted Carolyn Davidson, a graphic design student at Portland State University whom he overheard complaining about not having enough money to buy art supplies. After being tasked with creating a logo that was simple and inspired by movement, Davidson created several versions of the design until Knight finally settled for one of the samples that resembled a wing of the Greek goddess.
"Well, I don't love it", Knight allegedly told her, "but maybe it will grow on me." As we all know, and fortunately for both, today the iconic Swoosh and Nike’s brand identity have become one of the most beloved by athletes and consumers everywhere.
A Byte Out Of The Forbidden Fruit
Image: Laurenz Heymann
Before Apple dominated the tech world, it was just a simple fruit. There are many theories as to how the company decided on its popular brand identity and iconic logo - the silhouette of a bitten apple. Some believe that it was intended as an homage to one of the tragic founding fathers of computer science, Alan Turing, who committed suicide by eating an apple laced with cyanide.
However, the truth is far simpler, as it often is. According to Steve Jobs, he selected the name "Apple" after visiting an apple farm. He found the name to be fun-spirited and non-intimidating, something that would set them apart in the complex world of emerging tech companies.
Medicinal Beverage
Image: H.R. Kocher
Created as a medicine intended to regulate mood and temperament, Coca-Cola's name is a fusion of two main ingredients: coca leaves and kola nuts. The popular beverage’s creator, Dr. John Pemberton, had his bookkeeper come up with a catchy name and logo. Thus, the alliterative name and familiar typography were born. Although the product initially didn’t do too well - Pemberton never got to see his company succeed - it eventually became a hit, and can now be found almost anywhere in the world.
A Googol Of Possibilities
Image: Mitchell Luo
Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin originally named their search engine "BackRub". It was eventually changed to Google, a misspelling of the mathematical term googol, which represents a very large number (1 followed by 100 zeros). Since Google's stated mission is to organize the immense amount of information on the web, the name is a clever nod to the vastness of knowledge.
The Deep River of E-commerce
Image: Simon Bak
The world’s largest online retailer was once named "Cadabra" (as in "abracadabra"), but after a lawyer misheard the name as "cadaver", a search for a new name for the company began. According to Bezos, he chose the name by looking through a dictionary. As he stumbled onto "Amazon", he thought it was a fitting name for a unique company that strived to become just as compelling as the largest river in the world. Also, since the name began with an "A", it would always be at the top of any alphabetized list.
A Playful Idea
Image: Xavi Cabrera
The name LEGO is an abbreviation derived from the Danish words leg godt, meaning "play well." Its founder and creator, Ole Kirk Christiansen—a carpenter by profession—wanted the name to encapsulate the brand's commitment to creativity, learning, and fun. Initially a company that focused on wooden toys, after injection molding was introduced to Denmark, LEGO evolved into the toy-making giant we know today, and the simplicity of its name reflects the timeless appeal of its colorful interlocking bricks.
A Name in Three Stripes
Image: Sara Kurfeß
Adidas, named after its founder Adolf Dassler, cleverly incorporates his nickname, Adi, and the first three letters of his last name. The simplicity-oriented company chose its logo to stand out from the competition, but it wasn’t the first to come up with the three-stripe design. A Finnish athletic footwear company, Karhu Sports, had the rights, and Dassler allegedly bought the logo from them for two bottles of whiskey and the equivalent of €1600.
Nautical Mythos
Image: Sorin Sîrbu
If you are a fan of Melville, you probably find Starbucks’ name quite familiar. This is because the company got their name from the first mate in Herman Melville's Moby Dick. However, the name was mainly chosen because the company’s founders thought that names beginning with "st" were powerful, not because of any direct link with Melville’s magnum opus.
But no one can deny that the name, paired with the mermaid logo, creates a compelling brand narrative that helps draw customers into a world of exotic and premium coffee.
A Fortunate Name
Image: Jason Leung
Originally a playing card company, Nintendo is often assumed to mean "leave luck to heaven" in Japanese. However, since Japanese kanjis are often not so easily translated, various meanings could be at play in the entertainment giant’s name. Recently, Hiroshi Yamauchi, great-grandson of Nintendo’s founder, admitted that even he is not sure of the true meaning of the company’s name. But after 130 years of history, the mysterious moniker keeps the company firmly attached to its roots.
A Sonorous Name
Image: Florian Schmetz
Derived from the Latin word "sonus," meaning sound, and a play on the colloquial term for hip young men of the day "sonny," Sony’s founders sought to imbue their company with youthful and innovative energy, as well as an international sounding name. After the huge success of their first pocket radio, sold everywhere in the world, the name got a place among technological legends. Sony continued to build on this success, expanding its product line to include a wide range of electronics, like the beloved Walkman and the hugely popular video game console PlayStation.
Tribute to Genius
Image: Paul Steuber
Sporting a magnetic name and promising unbridled innovation, Tesla became one of the most hyped companies of the last few years. Its name is actually an homage to the brilliant Serbian American inventor Nikola Tesla, who, among many other things, developed the alternating-current power system that today provides electricity to homes everywhere and to the AC induction motor found at the core of every electric car manufactured by the company.
Superlative Ride
Image: Paul Hanaoka
Uber is a German word that means "above," in line with the brand's goal to provide a service that goes above and beyond. Originally called Ubercab, the name was quickly shortened to just Uber because of potential legal issues with cab drivers. But this turned out to be a good thing since the name became easier to remember and has now become a verb!
Also, concepts like "uberization"—making products or services available from smartphones—have become prevalent in the tech industry, and other companies have embraced the term.
