Building the Brand: the Nike Swoosh

As one of the world's most recognisable logos the Nike swoosh has not only grown on its owners, but has grown to permeate a whole culture.

In his article examining one of the world's most eminent graphic designs, Rob Walker asks if the success of this symbol (and potentially the whole Nike brand) can be attributed to: a stroke of design masterpiece? incessant repetition? or exquisite product placement?

While Walker appears to come to the conclusion that our bond with the logo is purely the result of a psychological attachment to the familiar, this seems a bit hollow. For example think how many times a day you see the Queen's head without becoming a raving monarchist. At the same time the article seems to avoid the discussion of the allure of the Nike which is created through its association with professional sports and urban culture. 

The full article is available here:

http://observersroom.designobserver.com/robwalker/post/swoosh-repeat/31938/

...