Nike Just Does It Sneaker Giant Adopts New Advertising Slogan

With sales lagging, the image of pro sports sullied and its own reputation savaged by workers’ rights advocates, Nike won’t “Just Do It” anymore.

The master marketers at the world’s largest athletic shoe company are christening the new year with a new slogan: “I Can.”

The slogan won’t entirely replace “Just Do It” as the Nike tag line but will serve as the theme of a new U.S. ad campaign that will debut on New Year’s Day.

“‘I Can’ is about being a positive influence in kids’ lives and creating opportunity for people to realize their dreams,” said Bob Wood, Nike vice president of USA Marketing. “It’s a personal statement that people can make their own.”

It’s also an attempt to offset a year of negativism in a company known for some of the most creative spots in advertising and accustomed to skyrocketing growth.

Nike hasn’t used “Just Do It” in many of its ads for some time, relying solely on its trademark Swoosh.

“I think they’ve been looking for renewed creative vigor for a year or more now,” said Charles Frazer, professor of advertising at the University of Oregon. “My students have thought ‘Just Do It’ was old hat for five years or more, and that’s their target audience in a lot of ways.”

Tinkering with a slogan is often a sign of overall trouble in a company.

“Frequently corporate uncertainty or instability leads to changes in marketing activities,” Frazer said, “just because marketing activities reflect the overall corporate mentality. And marketing is so easy to tinker with.”

Jenifer Black Groves, a Portland stock analyst for Black and Co., said the new campaign is a great move because it will focus on regular people, rather than on big-name athletes.

“When a company goes through a tough year, I think you really reexamine who you are and what you are,” she said. “I think everybody at Nike and Wieden and Kennedy (which created the old and new slogans) realized you need to have a balance.”

Nike reported a 20 percent decline in sales in the second quarter, which ended Nov. 30.

And professional sports - at the heart of much of Nike’s marketing - has been shaken by a series of assaults and scandals.

The problems have “created an atmosphere that is sort of negative,” Nike Chairman Phil Knight told investors during a Dec. 18 conference call.

The negativism has included persistent criticism of working conditions in factories run by Third World subcontractors that produce Nike products.

“At a time when cynicism in sports is at an all-time high, ‘I Can’ is an effort to return to a focus on the positive,” Wood said. “It reflects the deep emotional connection that people have with sports in feeling good about participating and setting personal goals.”

The new slogan will debut on Thursday in a spot entitled “Anthem,” which touts sports as an opportunity for anyone to experience the thrill of athletics.

The old slogan, among the most identifiable in the world, will not be abandoned, Nike spokeswoman Kathryn Reith said Tuesday.

“‘Just Do It’ is not dead. It’s alive and well,” she said. “We’ll continue to use it, probably a little more sparingly than we have in the past.”