Nike timeline
Nike
Timeline
This is the timeline for the sportswear company.
The 1960s-70s
- 1964
- Blue Ribbon Sports, is founded on a handshake agreement between Phil Knight and Bill Bowerman in Portland, Oregon on January 25.[1]
- 1972
- The first line of Nike footwear is introduced, including the so-called "Moon Shoe" that features a waffle sole, which is distributed to athletes competing in the US Olympic Track & Field Trials in Eugene, Oregon.
- 1973
- Romanian tennis star Ilie Năstase becomes the second athlete to sign an endorsement contract with Blue Ribbon Sports to wear its Nike tennis shoes.
- American record-holder Steve Prefontaine becomes the first major track athlete to wear Nike shoes.
- 1974
- The Waffle Trainer is introduced, quickly becoming the best-selling training shoe in the U.S.
- 1977
- Nike print ad with the tag "There is no finish line" is introduced.
- 1978
- Tennis "bad boy" John McEnroe is signed by Nike to an endorsement contract.
- 1979
- Nike's Air technology patented by inventor M. Frank Rudy is introduced in the Tailwind running shoe. Gas-filled plastic membranes are inserted into the sole of running shoes to provide cushioning.
The 1980s
- 1980
- Nike completes an initial public offering of 2,377,000 shares of Class B common stock on December 2.
- Nike hires the first industrial designers into the footwear industry to work out of their Exeter, NH R&D facility.
- 1981
- BRS, Inc. merges into Nike, Inc. on December 31, and the company officially becomes known as Nike, Inc.
- 1982
- Dan Wieden and Dave Kennedy start their own advertising agency, Wieden+Kennedy, taking with them the Nike account on April 1. In October, Nike airs its first national television ad during the New York Marathon.
The Air Force 1 basketball shoe becomes the first Nike court shoe to make use of the Air technology.
- 1984
- Nike signs Michael Jordan to an endorsement contract. The first model of his signature shoe, the Air Jordan, originally is banned by the NBA, drawing a tremendous amount of publicity.
- 1986
- Corporate revenues surpass $1 billion for the first time.
- 1987
- The Nike Air Max shoe is introduced, which for the first time makes visible the Nike air bag. A television ad featuring the Beatles' song "Revolution" is the first time that a song performed by the Beatles is used in a TV ad.
- 1988
- Nike launches "Just Do It" slogan. The slogan was coined in 1988 at an advertising agency meeting. The founder of Wieden+Kennedy agency, Dan Wieden credits the inspiration for his "Just Do It" Nike slogan to Gary Gilmore's last words.
- 1989
- Nike enters the European football market, signing a kit deal with Paris Saint-Germain
- Bo Jackson appears in Nike's Bo Knows ad campaign to support the launch of its cross-training shoe.
The 1990s
- 1990
- The first Niketown store opens in downtown Portland.
- Nike opens its world headquarters in unincorporated Washington County, just west of Portland, on 74 acres (0.3 km²) of land.
- 1993
- Nike introduces Reuse-A-Shoe, which collects athletic shoes, separates and grinds them up into Nike Grind, used in the making of athletic courts, tracks and fields.
- 1994
- Nike wins Advertiser of the Year at the Cannes Advertising Festival.
- Nike enters the ice hockey market after acquiring Canstar, the parent company of hockey equipment manufacturer Bauer Hockey. Previously, Nike had only made hockey jerseys, specifically those of the Edmonton Oilers at the height of Wayne Gretzky-mania, but now began to make all equipment.
- 1995
- Nike signs long-term partnerships with the Brazilian and United States soccer teams, and moves into English football, signing a kit (uniform/apparel) deal with Arsenal.
- 1996
- Nike signs Tiger Woods soon after he gives up his amateur golf status.
- Nike causes controversy with its advertising campaign during the Summer Olympics in Atlanta which features the slogan, "You Don't Win Silver — You Lose Gold." Nike's use of this slogan draws harsh criticism from many sources, including - not surprisingly - several former Olympic silver and bronze medalists.
- Niketown Los Angeles opens in Beverly Hills.
- 1997
- Nike signs several hockey stars, including Sergei Fedorov and Jeremy Roenick, to endorsement deals to wear their new line of skates, which are noticeably different due to their unique colors and design. Fedorov especially became known for his unique "all-white" Nike skates, which were radically different from the normally black standard hockey skates. Although Wayne Gretzky would eventually wear the all-white Nike skates in his final season, Nike decided to make more traditional skates for their next product line.
- 1998
- Phil Knight commits Nike to standards for its affiliated manufacturing facilities, including: minimum wage; air quality; education programs; expansion of microloan program; factory monitoring; and enhanced transparency of Nike's corporate social responsibility practices.
- 1999
- Bill Bowerman, co-founder of Nike, dies on Dec. 24 at age 88.
The 2000s
- 2000
- Nike Shox cushioning/support system is introduced, initially worn by Vince Carter and others on the US Olympic basketball team.
- 2002
- Nike purchases Hurley International, an action sports clothing company, for an undisclosed amount.
- NikeGO launches, a grassroots initiative to increase physical activity among youths aged 9–15.
- Nike become the apparel sponsor of Manchester United until 2010.
- Nike SB, Nike's Skateboarding line, debuts.
- 2003
- Nike acquires once-bankrupt rival Converse for $305 million on July 9.
- For the first time in the company's history, international sales exceed USA sales.
- Nike is again (also in 1994) named "Advertiser of the Year" by the Cannes Advertising Festival.
- Nike signs NBA player LeBron James with an unprecedented $87 million endorsement contract.
- 2004
- Phil Knight steps down as CEO and President of Nike, but continues as chairman. Knight is replaced by William D. Perez as CEO of Nike, effective Dec. 28.
- Nike creates the Exeter Brands Group, a wholly owned subsidiary for athletic footwear and apparel brands for lower price points. Brands include Starter, Team Starter, Asphalt, Shaq, and Dunkman.
- Annual revenues exceed $ 12.25 billion
- 2005
- Nike reports annual revenue for fiscal year 2005 (ending May 31) of $13.74 billion, a 12% increase over the previous fiscal year.
- Nike Signs Tennis Pro Rafael Nadal.
- 2006
- Nike enters the cricket market with a 5-year sponsorship of the Indian cricket team for US$43m.
- CEO William Perez leaves Nike on January 23, 2006. Perez said in the statement that he and Knight "weren't entirely aligned on some aspects of how to best lead the company's long-term growth. It became obvious to me that the long-term interests of the company would be best served by my resignation."
- Mark Parker replaces Perez as CEO. Parker previously was brand co-president of the company, and joined Nike in 1979.
- Nike and Apple release the Nike+iPod sports kit, enabling runners to log and monitor their runs via iTunes and the Nike+ website.
- Nike reports annual revenue for fiscal year 2006 (ending May 31) of $15 billion.
- 2007
- Nike introduces the Second Coming, a group of NBA basketball players who best represent the Nike Basketball.
- Nike introduces AF25, after 25 years of Air Force shoe line.
- Nike become the kit sponsor of Aston Villa F.C..
- 2008
- Nike sells its Nike Bauer hockey equipment division.
- Nike introduces shoes featuring new Flywire and Lunarlite Foam materials. Flywire is a new technology made up of thin wires of vectran fibers, which are 5 times stronger than steel and never lose strength. Lunar Foam is a material developed by NASA that gives the shoe excellent shock absorption and a great feel with minimal weight.
- Nike reports annual revenue for fiscal year 2008 (ending May 31) of $18.6 billion, a 14% increase over the previous fiscal year
- 2009
- Dwyane Wade moves from one Nike subsidiary to another, switching from Converse to Jordan Brand.
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