The Nike Swoosh symbol is probably one of the most, if not the most, recognizable logos in the world. Its story began in 1971 when a teacher named Phil Knight, who was working to found Blue Ribbon Sports (BRS), later to become Nike, asked young Carolyn Davidson, a graphic design student at Portland State University, to create a logo.
BRS was looking for a logo that could be displayed on its new line of athletic footwear. Knight asked the young woman to create a series of ideas in exchange for a payment of $2 per hour.
In June 1971, Davidson presented numerous proposals, and among them, the symbol that would become the Swoosh was chosen.
The Nike logo, in its simplicity and essentiality, was meant to represent a wing, the symbol of the Greek goddess of victory named Nike (of course).
The total cost of the work? $35. Eleven years later, however, Nike gave Davidson a gold ring with the Swoosh symbol along with a series of Nike shares, as a sign of its gratitude.