Nike v/s Swoosh

Says Brandnama, "In a country like India where people are more verbal than visual, Nike's decision to drop the name in favour of just the Swoosh is a Himalayan Blunder." Is it? There's no doubt about it, Nike is a great brand name. It has everything that a good brand name ought to possess. It's short. It has a 'K'. It's has a good ring to it. It also has a perfect balance of consonant and vowel sounds. All of which makes it a memorable brand name. So why did they drop it in favour of the Swoosh?

I don't think they have dropped anything. I'd argue the Swoosh is Nike. In an attempt to simplify communication, they have decided to drop the words. The world is going more visual. Visual is the word of the day. Even literate people take a little time to get the pronunciation of Nike right. Significantly, words are easier to plagirise. Visuals make for more powerful and more integral symbols of brand ownership and memory recall than words. I don't think the Swoosh is anything else other than Nike. I do know that there are more than a few versions of the word 'Nike'. I think Nike's decision to drop the name from the Swoosh is an interesting one. I think it's a emotional step up in an evolutionary direction that makes some communication sense.

The big problem: People who don't know Nike are going to look at the Swoosh and wonder what it is. That, I think, is the biggest and the only challenge Nike's communications partner is going to have to address. An interesting debate, to say the least. Contribute.