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Pondering Why Big Brands Make Big Shifts
Why Do It? Why Mess with Greatness?
On the surface, changing an iconic tagline feels a little counterproductive. But branding isn’t something that’s done in a vacuum — it’s a living, breathing relationship between a company and its target audience. It’s the continual wooing of your customer — a dance where the lead knows how and when to move.
When a brand grows up — or rather its target audiences change — messaging shifts are necessary to generational marketing.
Spoiler alert: But not everyone will be on board.
When Taglines Change: When Not Everyone’s On Board
Mess with a beloved tagline, and you’ll get the proverbial horns. A nationally-recognized logo or tagline carries more emotional weight than most realize — try changing it, and suddenly you’re committing a sort of brand heresy that’s blasted across social media if it’s not handled just right.
But when a brand with global reach rewrites its tagline, it’s never random — it’s handsomely paid for strategy. Taglines aren’t just catchy lines or afterthoughts; they’re story starters. They’re how a company opens the door and invites people into its world. It’s a way to grab attention and, yes, hopefully nudge them to reach for their wallets.
And the hard truth is, audiences age. Markets shift. Generations hear messages differently. What once motivated one crowd might alienate another.
“Just Do It” emerged in a late-80s America hungry for ambition. Think big hair, power suits, the boom of corporate ladder climbing and consumer culture. It fit perfectly. But fast forward to today: and generations burnt out by the hustle culture find relief in Nike acknowledging the need to pause and ask deeper life questions. This is the generation that eschews more time at the desk in favor of more PTO.
The Real Question: Who’s It For?
If a new tagline doesn’t resonate with you, maybe it wasn’t meant to. Brands don’t aim to please everyone — they aim to reach the people who are actually buying. At the end of the day, results matter, revenue matters, and goals have to be hit.
Audiences age out, tastes change, and buying power moves on. Nike already knows the loyalty of Boomers and Gen X is already a given. But if one of these aging generations isn’t exactly lacing up the running shoes anymore or hitting the basketball court, Nike has to look on. It has to look forward to the next generation of buying power. Who do they chase — who is eager to step up with cash in hand?
Taglines evolve not to chase nostalgia, but to follow where the market is actually going.
So a tagline shift isn’t rejection of a cultural norm — it’s recruitment. Nike is expanding its court, not abandoning its legacy.
The Stakes of Standing Still
Had Nike clung forever to “Just Do It,” it risked fading into the noise. By asking “Why Do It?” it invites its next generation of audiences into the athletic giant’s story. It’s not erasing the past — it’s recruiting new buyers and keeping the story alive.
As the narrator says:
Why do it?
Why would you make it harder on yourself?
Why chance it?
Why put it on the line?
With so much at stake.
With so much room to fail.
Why risk it?
Why would you dare?
Seriously, why?!
You could give everything you have, and still lose.
But my question is: What if you don’t?
Perhaps a Nike exec questioned: What if I don’t take this risk? What if I don’t put everything on the line to grab this next chance — this next generation?
Sometimes the smartest way to move forward is to stop, listen, and ask the right questions.
Because the cost of standing still? That’s a risk no brand can afford.
Let’s Talk Messaging
If you’re stuck in the past with your own branding, we can help. Our brand strategy consultants and content strategists know a thing or two about storytelling and strategic wordsmithing.
Reach out today to see how.
