A LESSON IN EVERY MILE: JUST DO IT. AGAIN.
ALWD IMGRY©
Every year, Nike searched for the right angle, the perfect message to capture lightning in a bottle. For decades, they experimented, pivoted, and refined. But some things, once captured, become eternal. Once the angle arrived, it became the #2 Ad Slogan of the Century. The "Just Do It" slogan just got a refresh, but did they forget to say something?
A Personal Thread
I first became aware of the Nike brand through, of course, Michael Jordan. My first pair of J's are documented in a second-grade photo at McGogney Elementary in Washington, DC Proper. Complete with a bald fade, stone-washed jeans, and a green neighborhood rec shirt from my baseball team, I stood there with a grin—proud of the moment and my extra connection to the hero of that era whose last name I bore on the tongue of my shoes.
Growing up in DC Proper, where the city's unique geography, social, and economic makeup was literally led by enterprising individuals who translated sportswear to neighborhood youth, creating a holy grail of material icons from Nike, Timberland, Harley Davidson, New Balance, Nautica, and Asics. My consumption of Nike evolved across a generation. From media to sports culture, DC was a trend incubator where schools and city streets became runways for brand affiliations.
My stylistic inclinations traced Nike's innovation timeline: the Mid-Air Force 1s (loved my white-and-yellow joints), HyperMax (I bought multiple pairs and customized them), Nike Signature Players purchased with my first paycheck as a waiter, random releases here and there, glow-in-the-dark Air Force Ones (a gift I'll never forget), and then the VaporMax first edition when it dropped on 3.26.2017.
Each pair marked a moment. Each swoosh told a story. And each help cross a finish to a new goal.
NYC QUEENS HALF MARATHON
Why Do It? Because, it can be done! Greatness repeats.
Nike's newest campaign begins with reframing for a new generation, prompting the contemplation: "Why Do It?" But with a brand built like Nike, there's a bit more to say.
Comparatively, Apple's "Think Different" campaign resonated with its time, but even the first trillion-dollar company returned to its roots to encourage fans to "Think Different. Again." Within the cultural zeitgeist and the language of the moment, the thinking can fall flat. But the "cult" of these brands finds itself not speaking to the market, but speaking to the people of their obsession—their customers.
Unlike Apple, Nike is an engagement artifact. The iPhone is an access tool. The two are different, but for Nike, activity and the development of our active lives have given it life. The sweat equity and actual equity its star athletes and partners have invested have accomplished the impossible:
He Did It. Walt Stack, an 80-year-old runner jogging across the Golden Gate Bridge in Nike's first "Just Do It" ad in 1988.
He Did It. Michael Jordan—six championships that defined excellence.
She Did It. Serena Williams—23 Grand Slams and counting.
She's Doing It. Caitlin Clark, reshaping women's basketball.
They Did It. Kobe and Gigi. LeBron and Bronny. Ken Griffey Jr. and Sr.
They Did It. Team USA. The Boston Celtics' NBA Championship with Jayson Tatum. The Philadelphia Eagles' Super Bowl with Jalen Hurts.
And… You Did It.
The Power of the Question
The immediate framing of "Why?" prompts a generation to ask more questions. But here's the thing: after growing through the phases of being a Nike consumer over 30+ years, we don't come to brands for questions—we come for answers. We seek examples of leadership.
Yet Nike's "Why Do It?" is a genuine reframe. The multi-hyphenated Tyler, the Creator becomes the voice of reason reminding us not to forget to "Just Do It." When placed in the context of what was already done—what WE did—it becomes testament, not command. All that you accomplished got you to where you are today, and all that Nike's athletes did time and time again built the company. The style of the street, propelled the brand globally. Nike provided the stones for the pantheon of the greats: Jordan's six rings, Serena's titles, and multiple Hall of Famers, decade after decade.
But this journey must also be reflective of us individuals, consumers and leisure athletes. I crushed that school picture. You hit that home run as a kid, nailed that three-pointer, ran that marathon. Your team won that championship.
We may not need questions. We need reminders. A reminder to Do It Again.
SOURCE: NIKE
The Slogan They Forgot to Say: Do It Again
A remix slogan can go unheard if we've "been there, done that." But here's what Nike should also tell both the new generation and the old guard: DO IT AGAIN.
That's the reminder I told myself every day, committed to running every day. And though only a mile each day, it became a reminder (The Nike app helped too!). Nike's influence has become a style standard across culture. But what do champions tell themselves on the way to their next goal?
Do It Again.
I mean, wow. Think about it…
What did Jordan tell himself after the first championship? Do It Again. What did Tiger say? What did LeBron, Tim Duncan, Ronaldo, Nadal, and Serena whisper to themselves in the quiet moments before the dawn of their new pursuits? What do the high school and college champions tell themselves while doing their thing? What did one of Nike's unsung heros in Wale Folarin to sustain his lasting career post his underground hit "Nike Boots"?
With 100+ championships across Nike athletes and millions of records sold by its roster of talent, here's the truth: they didn't Just Do It once. They had to Do It Again. In the words of Vaclav Smil "Numbers don't lie."
Artifact Output, Claude.ai for StyleThreads.ai
The Ethos of Again; The Campaign for LA28?
In the life of sport, style and culture, you can't Just Do It once anymore. A champion Nike athlete can Do It Again. And WE can do it aging too. Though it can seem like pressure, "again" is natural is a natural as the sun rising and setting since creation. We not worry of competition, we need only to live.
Culture connects its threads—through repetition, through commitment, through the relentless pursuit of what was already conquered. Because proving it once isn't enough. The world demands consistency. Legacy demands continuity. There is peace in the familiarity of excellence. When an athlete got a (L)esson on the right column, they didn't ask too many questions, they faced the answer of what they had to do next.
SOURCE: NIKE
The Challenge and the Comeback
Nike, though an instituition, is not without its challenges. After the "Just Do It" slogan launched in 1988, sales grew from $877 million to $9.2 billion within a decade—an astronomical rise that cemented the brand's dominance.
Yet within days of one of its quarterly earnings reports last year, Nike lost $28 billion in market cap. The fall was swift and shocking. And it is most recent reported earnings quarter posting 1% growth in revenue, still faces profitability headwinds though (W)ins have been found in multiple sectors of the business.
But champions know what to do when they fall. They know what to do when they miss their expectations and not the market's.
Since 2024, Nike has made strides: securing Caitlin Clark, shifting focus to B2B partnerships while expanding its presence in the NBA, WNBA, cricket, and tennis. The world is getting smaller through media and technology, and yet there remains one brand that can connect all the threads of sport, style, and culture across continents and generations. Continue efforts in real design rooted in local culture, provides a continued path to success not banking on trends, but truth.
Take a look a what is buzzing in the ethos of style, lead by Mr. Folarin, moment when he his thread began to light up with something new that had me following along. The GT Future, is while be one of the flag pole issues that inspires because it's not re-release of the old, its something new but rooted in shared equity of its roots and not trend.
The Future Belongs to Those Who Do It Again
As one of the nation's leading sportswear companies, Nike's position provides the opportunity now "talk that talk." With 50+ years of technology and data, 100+ combined championships from Nike athletes, and a growing demographic of young and visible fans, influencers, icons and athletes worldwide, the future is Nike's to capture.
With LA28 approaching and Nike athletes in the trenches, the questions in the media and in the athletes' minds loom: Can they DO it again? Can they do it on their home turf—America? Paris was done with love—but America is tough, and the demand for gold and excellence is at its highest.
The threads of culture always connect—from my second-grade photo in fresh J's to Caitlin Clark reshaping the game, from Walt Stack's morning run to Jordan's dynasty, from neighborhood rec leagues to Olympic podiums—all connect through one simple truth:
Greatness isn't a moment. It's a commitment to repetition; a commitment to legacy. To showing up. To proving yourself over and over.
The reminder isn't just for Nike. It's for all of us.
Whatever you did yesterday, whatever mountain you climbed, whatever goal you crushed—the question isn't "Why?"
The answer is: Just Do It. Again.
ALWD IMGRY©
