The 60-second ad from Wieden + Kennedy Portland features a roster of international sports stars including Spanish tennis champ Carlos Alcaraz, Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley, WNBA star Caitlin Clark, and NBA icon LeBron James.
“‘Just Do It’ isn’t just a slogan—it’s a spirit that lives in every heartbeat of sport. It’s the belief that, together, we can inspire, unite and elevate ourselves beyond what we thought possible,” Nicole Graham, Nike EVP and chief marketing officer, said in a statement. “With ‘Why Do It?,’ we’re igniting that spark for a new generation, daring them to step forward with courage, trust in their own potential and discover the greatness that unfolds the moment they decide to begin.”
While Nike didn’t specify a particular target generation, the campaign’s tone speaks to Gen Z’s less accepting stance on the status quo.
In fact, there is support for the idea that Gen Z is especially prone to a questioning attitude. Stanford research scholar Roberta Katz argued in 2022 that the younger generation is truly internet-native and developed an “early facility with powerful digital tools” that allowed them to fact-check their situation on a rolling basis. This yielded a “pragmatic” outlook and a set of values that emphasize direct communication, authenticity and relevance.
When she begins answering these many questions, she finds “They want to know why: how is it connected to my purpose, what I’m interested in, how is it going to help me get to [my career goals]?”
“But the shift is definitely not as extreme,” Varbanova said. “But it’s bold enough that it will create conversations without destroying the brand.”
“When you’ve got an asset that transcends campaigns, generations, and even entire industries… you don’t dilute it. You protect it,” Leonte wrote. “Nike didn’t become Nike because of new slogans every 5 years. They became Nike because ‘Just Do It’ is timeless, universal, and instantly recognizable. It’s the brand’s north star.”
Critics argue Nike’s new campaign might confuse the brand’s identity for older consumers who have a strong attachment to “Just Do It.” But Varbanova said the original slogan is still part of the brand’s identity.
“To me, Nike believes that gaining relevancy with the younger generation, which is afraid of failure, will bring more brand equity in the long run with the right people,” she said. “Nike’s new slogan feels like a balance between history and the modern days.”
Plus, Varbanova pointed out that all the conversations the new slogan has sparked is the “biggest sign of relevancy there is.”
