Nike - Just Do It (1988) - Very first commercial

The very first commercial in which “Just Do It“ was used. The phrase, first used in a Nike advert in 1988, was pitched to the firm by advertising executive Dan Wieden, who admitted that it was borrowed from something a Utah murderer uttered as he faced a firing squad. When 80-year-old Walt Stack jogged across the Golden Gate Bridge in Nike’s first “Just do it“ spot, chatting about his daily 17-mile run and joking that he kept his teeth from chattering in winter by leaving them in his locker, we lived in a more homogenous media world. At the time it seemed complex and cluttered, with some cable systems sporting 100 or more channels, and the recently launched Fox network broadening the broadcast funnel by 25 percent. “Just do it“ belongs to an era when brands were brave enough to run with their visions and invite consumers to dream along with them. “Just do it“ is empowering but makes no promises, implying, in fact, that tough, hard work and personal sacrifice might be involved. Client: Nike Agency: Wieden Kennedy