Nike Defends Its Brand in Court While Recasting Its Slogan for a New Era
Sep/10/2025
On September 10, Nike sought more time to oppose Inner Athlete LLC’s 'IA' trademark, filed for a wide range of athletic apparel and footwear, arguing that the stylized geometric lettering risks confusion with its own design marks. The move reflects Nike’s broader vigilance in protecting its identity, even as it retools its most famous one: the nearly four-decade-old "Just Do It". In a new global campaign titled "Why Do It?" — voiced by Tyler, the Creator and featuring stars from LeBron James to Caitlin Clark—the company reframes its rallying cry to resonate with younger athletes navigating social, political, and economic pressures. The dual track of legal defense and creative reinvention underscores Nike’s strategy at a moment of financial headwinds, including a 10% revenue drop in 2024 and looming tariff costs, as it doubles down on its core proposition: sport as both cultural anchor and commercial engine. The following visualization shows details of the graphical patterns in the potentially opposed 'IA' trademark, highlighting design elements Nike claims resemble its own protected marks.
