🧵 How Nike’s ‘Just Do It’ Slogan Was Inspired by a… Death Row Inmate?
The surprising (and kinda creepy) origin story of Nike’s iconic phrase.
An ad campaign that would go on to become one of the most recognizable in history began in an unlikely and unsettling place - within the final moments of a notorious American criminal case. The last words of a man found guilty of double murder were transformed into a global mantra for athletic ambition and personal empowerment.
Let’s go back.
The Criminal Behind the Campaign
Gary Gilmore’s descent into violence began with an abusive childhood and a life marked by crime. By age 35, he had spent more than half his life behind bars. In July 1976, just months after his release, Gilmore committed two brutal murders in Utah. The case soon captured national attention, not just because of the crime, but because of the events that followed.
The Trial and Sentence
Gilmore’s trial moved fast - just 11 weeks after the murders, it wrapped in three days. The evidence was damning: eyewitnesses, ballistics, and a clear link to the crime. He was found guilty and sentenced to death on October 7, 1976. And Gilmore demanded to be executed quick, making him the first person put to death in the U.S. after a years-long moratorium. There were efforts from groups like the ACLU to halt the execution, Gilmore refused to back down. He really wanted to go through with it, even attempting suicide twice while awaiting his fate. No one could change his mind.
The Final Words That Inspired a Global Brand
On the morning of January 17, 1977, Gary Gilmore faced a firing squad at Utah State Prison. The execution took place in a grim setting—a former cannery tucked behind the prison walls. Gilmore was strapped into a wooden chair, positioned just ten yards from five riflemen. Asked for any last words, he didn’t hesitate. “Let’s do it,” he said.
Those three words - spoken in the face of certain death - would have vanished into history if not for an advertising executive named Dan Wieden. In 1988, while developing a campaign for Nike, Wieden remembered Gilmore’s chilling final phrase. He later recalled, “I remember when I read that I was like, that’s amazing. I mean, how, in the face of that much uncertainty, do you push through that?”
At the time, Wieden—co-founder of Wieden+Kennedy - was trying to find one unifying line to tie together ads aimed at everyone from elite athletes to casual walkers. Gilmore’s words stuck with him. When he presented his adaptation of this inmates final words - changing "Let's do it" to "Just Do It" - Nike executives were initially skeptical. But they trusted Wieden's instincts, and the slogan debuted in a 1988 television commercial featuring 80-year-old runner Walt Stack.
The Transformation of Nike Through Dark Inspiration
Nike wasn’t exactly dominating the market in 1988 - they held just 18% of the U.S. sportswear share. Soon after launching “Just Do It,” things changed fast. Within ten years, they were leading with 43% and pulling in over $9 billion in global sales. Timing helped: the slogan rolled out alongside hits like the Air Jordan 3 and Air Trainer 1.
What really made it stick was how open-ended it felt. “Just Do It” could mean anything - from training for your first 5K to playing in the NBA. It wasn’t just a slogan - it was a dare. Wieden created it to connect across skill levels, and that universality helped turn a three-word tagline into a lasting cultural mantra.
The Legacy of Dan Wieden
Dan Wieden didn’t play it safe. He once borrowed a murderer’s last words and turned them into one of the most famous slogans in advertising. It was a strange move - but it worked.
That three-word line helped turn Nike into a global powerhouse and gave his agency, Wieden+Kennedy, its first big break. He knew that good ads don’t just sell - they hit a nerve. Starting with Nike as their only client, the agency went on to shape campaigns for major brands like Coca-Cola and Old Spice. Wieden believed in bold ideas and emotional storytelling, no matter how strange the starting point.
The Staying Power of a Strange Beginning
More than 30 years on, “Just Do It” is still everywhere - from billboards to protests to gym shirts. Even in Nike’s bolder campaigns, like the one with Colin Kaepernick in 2018, the slogan held its ground. Sales jumped, conversations flared, and the line proved its power once again.
Hard to believe, but one of the most famous slogans in the world came from something as grim as a death row inmate’s final words. That’s advertising for you - sometimes the spark comes from places you’d rather not look.
Nike didn’t just land on a catchy phrase. They turned it into something bigger, something people could latch onto. Most folks have no idea where it came from, and honestly, maybe that’s for the best. But the story behind it still lingers - messy, strange, and very real.
