There are very few words in the history of branding that have transcended advertising to become cultural IP.
Nike’s Just Do It is one of them. Three words that don’t just sell sneakers, they sell possibility, ambition, resilience, rebellion, achievement. They’ve been stitched into the fabric of sport and culture for decades.
That’s what makes it more than a tagline. It’s brand real estate. It belongs to Nike in the way the Golden Arches belong to McDonald’s, or the swoosh belongs to Nike itself. It is owned IP: intangible, but immensely valuable.
Which is why the latest campaign — Why Do It — feels off. Not because Tyler the Creator isn’t a brilliant narrator. Not because the creative isn’t sharp. But because you don’t touch IP like Just Do It unless you’re prepared to build something equally timeless.
Many voices have pointed out to the fact that the brand is still using JUST DO IT at the end of the video – yet, what the brand is saying in their PR is something different. Every PR piece I’ve read on this new campaign, including their own brand newsroom, talk about the evolution of Just Do It.
The focus of the brand is to make sure they connect with the younger audience in a more aligned way: “While the spirit of “Just Do It” hasn’t changed, the world around it has. Its reintroduction isn’t about chasing glory or nostalgia — it’s about choosing to start, then deciding to keep going, channeling a version of “Just Do It” that feels true to the pressures and potential of today’s generation.”
Listen up … the problem is not the tagline.
What’s Actually Broken at Nike
If Nike feels “stuck,” the problem isn’t the tagline. The problem is the lack of relevancy with Gen Z consumers and the lack of an innovative product pipeline.
For years, Nike’s ecosystem has been fuelled by:
- Innovation: Air Max, Flyknit, React, Dri-Fit.
- Collaboration: Off-White, Travis Scott, Sacai.
- Athlete IP: Jordan, Serena, LeBron.
But the current cycle is heavy on retros and reissues, recycling nostalgia instead of pushing the frontier of performance and design. When product becomes predictable, no tagline or slogan can save you.
And when your brand feels “old”, changing up some words won’t make a big difference.
The Ecosystem View
Nike’s brand ecosystem is one of the most advanced in the world:
- Core IP: Swoosh, Just Do It, Jordan.
- Cultural Collabs: Music, fashion, sport.
- Media Engine: SNKRS app, social dominance, film-level campaigns.
- Community: Runners, hoopers, sneakerheads, gym athletes.
This machine still works. The engine isn’t broken. But without fresh product IP feeding into it, the ecosystem risks running on fumes.
And most of all, without relevant stories, updated for the younger consumers, remaking the same old school ad over and over again won’t cut it.
If there is one thing that feels off in this new campaign is the fact that they’re trying to evolve the slogan without trying to evolve the visuals or the way they’re telling those stories.
The Power of a Tagline as IP
A strong tagline anchors every product, every story, every extension. It’s a shortcut to meaning: consumers hear it, and they instantly recall decades of emotion and cultural relevance.
And in Nike’s case, it has always been the bridge between innovation in product and inspiration in culture.
In short: Protect the IP that already works. Create the IP that’s missing.
Because taglines don’t fail. Ecosystems without fuel do.
That’s not just Nike’s challenge, it’s the challenge for any brand that’s recycling old assets instead of building new ones.
But if the foundation is broken, why fix the roof?
