"Nike’s success spans fifty years —from their origin in 1964 as Blue Ribbon Sports to the meteoric rise of the Nike Cortez — and we can’t leave out the eternally coveted Air Jordan sub-brand."

"Nike’s marketing team are master storytellers and have produced fifty years of ads that have and continue to provoke emotion, inspire, and motivate millions of people across the globe."

"Lesson 1: Seize opportunities and make bold choices"

"The Air Jordan is perhaps Nike’s most iconic shoe and one of the most influential sneakers ever. It all started when Michael Jordan was drafted as the third pick by the Chicago Bulls in 1984."

"Coming out of the University of North Carolina, he was one of the most highly-touted recruits and quickly emerged as a star in the league."

"Nike also made an agreement with Jordan that he would receive 5% of all Air Jordan products sold — an approach that was unheard of at the time."

"The original Jordan was an unusual-looking shoe with its bold red and black coloring. So much so that it actually violated the NBA’s dress code rules."

"But I kept wearing them and David Stern [the NBA commissioner] started fining me. I think it started out at $1,000 a game, then $3,000, and eventually $5,000. It would have cost millions of dollars to come up with a promotion that produced as much publicity as the league's ban did."

"What’s interesting, however, is that it’s unclear how much of the legend is true."

"Most sources suspect the actual sneaker was the Nike Air Ship. However, Jordan and Nike’s team have stuck to their story."

"They were on the ball enough to see an opportunity when it presented itself."

"Nike responded with an ad featuring Serena and the slogan, “You can take the superhero out of her costume, but you can never take away her superpowers.”"

"Their marketing team used the incident to show how they support women, mothers, and Black athletes in sports. In doing so, they reinforced their brand message that sports should be accessible to all."

"Lesson 2: Embrace and connect with your audiences"

"Nike’s decision to engage with the POC communities that created and defined streetwear and sneakerhead culture was an early driver of their success."

"Fashion-forward Black and Latinx kids were the trendsetters who turned sneakers from a simple piece of athletic equipment or a casual comfortable shoe into fashion staples."

"Consumers notice when a brand is happy to receive free advertising, street cred, and money without authentically engaging with them or caring about who they are. Nike’s marketing team has prioritized engaging with many different audiences in a respectful and genuine way over the years."

"Nike’s team gave Spike the creative freedom to infuse the ads with his own distinctive humor and irreverence."

"They didn’t just use his popularity; they actually had him write and direct the ads."

"The Mars Blackmon campaign was hugely successful in promoting the sneaker and had the knock-off effect of humanizing Michael Jordan and making him an even bigger star (and better brand ambassador) than he had been before."

"The success of these ads illustrates how important it is that brands know the difference between taking advantage of a community and actually engaging with them. By hiring a Black creative and giving him creative autonomy, Nike ended up with an authentic campaign that respected the roots of the entire streetwear movement, bringing those who started it to the forefront."

"Whitney Houston wore them when she sang the national anthem at the 1991 Super Bowl."

"Lesson 3: Know who you are as a brand"

"Nike has an incredibly strong brand, and their marketing strategy is always grounded in that brand identity."

"To bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete* in the world."

"*If you have a body, you are an athlete."

"The most important part of that mission statement is the asterisk:“ If you have a body, you are an athlete.” When Nike thinks about their audience — everyone and anyone is someone who can strive, compete, and accomplish great feats – even if they’re just personal goals."

"Nike’s “Just do it” tagline is one of the most recognizable marketing slogans in the world. The phrase is decisive and bold – and it can be applied to so many different activities or situations in life and speaks to the inclusivity of Nike’s approach."

"“Instead, what we’ve found to be most effective is inviting people to join us in what we believe in and what we stand for…I think that’s why ‘Just Do It’ has had such an impact over the last 20 years and continues to.”"

"When you truly know who you are as a brand, there’s more freedom to play. This means marketers are able to dream big, riff endlessly, take on risky ideas, and develop an endless array of campaigns that still share a common foundation."

"The best lesson marketing teams can take from their example is that truly successful marketing comes from studying your own brand, knowing it inside and out, and then being brave enough to take bold and decisive action with it."