Marketing plays a huge role in helping companies build their identity. Even the simplest design elements—like a particular font, a splash of color, or a short phrase—can make a brand instantly recognizable. And often, a memorable slogan becomes one of the most powerful tools in that branding toolbox.
If you think about it, most major companies have one. It’s hard to hear “I’m lovin’ it” without picturing McDonald’s golden arches, or “Because you’re worth it” without thinking of L’Oreal. These little taglines stick with us—and for good reason.
Of course, it also got a fresh wave of attention in 2015 thanks to Shia LaBeouf’s viral motivational video. But long before all that, where did this slogan really come from?
Turns out, ‘Just Do It’ was coined by Dan Wieden, who was running the ad agency Wieden & Kennedy at the time. And as Wieden later shared, he took inspiration—strangely enough—from the final words of convicted murderer Gary Gilmore.
When the day of his execution arrived in 1977, he faced the firing squad. Just before it happened, he was asked if he had any last words. His reply? Reportedly, it was: “Let’s do it.”
Business Insider reported that Dan Wieden, while speaking to Doug Pray in the 2009 documentary Art & Copy, said: “I like the ‘do it’ part of it.”
In a different interview with Dezeen, Wieden offered more context about what he had in mind when he came up with the phrase.
He said: “I was trying to write something that would tie it up, so it could speak to women who had just started walking to get in shape, to people who were world-class athletes — and it had the same kind of connection with them.”
The campaign turned out to be a massive win for Nike. ESPN feature writer Nick DePaula pointed out: “Not only was the slogan great, and also approachable and vague enough that anybody could apply it to whatever it was they were trying to aspire to do.”
Still, once people found out about the slogan’s eerie background, the reaction online was pretty intense. Many users expressed their disbelief and shock over where it all came from.
Another person simply called it “disturbing.”