Why ‘’Impossible is Nothing’’ is a greater tagline than ‘’Just Do It.’’

On a recent trip to Tokyo, my friends and I were drinking cans of STRONG ZERO on the train ahead of a big night in SHIBUYA.

ALL HAIL THE GREATEST PRE-MIXED ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE EVER MADE.

Strong Zero is this high-percentage (9–10%) pre-mixed drink that comes in some insane flavour combinations. Think of your favourite squash laced with your preferred alcoholic weapon of choice. Absolutely banging drink.

Now I’m not sure if the Strong Zero’s impacted the conversation, but being in Tokyo, a place home to some of the earth’s most eclectic sartorial tastes, we started talking about fashion — and particularly (my favourite) — trainers.

Then we got onto Nike v Adidas, and Adidas’ supercharged resurgence in the last half-decade. Everybody knows I’m a Nike evangelist. This is why my friends found the next part so odd.

One of them mentioned Nike’s ‘Just Do It’ as the jewel in the omnipotent air-bubble crown that makes Nike the king, and queen, of sporting apparel.

‘’Meh’’ I said.

‘’Impossible is Nothing’’ is a greater, more impactful tagline than Nike’s ‘‘Just Do It’’. Though, Just Do It. Works better on a strategic level, which is why it’s still about.

Just Do It is an action. It is effective in its simplicity. It is easy. It is fast. It is slick. Easily digestible. But it isn’t impactful like Impossible is Nothing.

Impossible is Nothing is a reverse juxtaposition, that works extremely well. If they had gone with ‘’Nothing is Impossible’’ — you lose an added layer of depth that is key for the line to work.

There are two ways to read the line.

1 (Abstract View): That doing and achieving the Impossible, *is* Nothing. It is light work. Simple. With this reading of the line, it is minimizing the size of our wildest dreams, into something attainable, something routine, something we achieve daily. This reading of the line is my preferred one.

Here, it becomes an active methodology — that can be applied to everyday life — inspired by the devotion and desire required to unlock the peak athletic excellence Adidas empowers its sponsors (and consumers) to reach for. Though, when looking closely, it reads as quite existential.

The idea of ‘’nothing’’ which evokes hues of emptiness, loss, failure etc, juxtaposed with those triumphant, joyous images attached to the ‘’impossible’’, clash to create a light vs dark tension. This, again, can be read as riffing on the emotional carousel that elite athletic talents experience — in their heaviest defeats, and greatest comebacks. Which applies to us mere mortals, too.

2 (The General reading): That simply, nothing is impossible. That is the essence of the line. It is about the possibility of life. The possibility of every day. About making the implausible, plausible.

When I look at ‘‘Just Do It’’ — I see something that can at times feel outdated, then a brilliant campaign washes the brand anew, scrubbed with sands sourced from that eternal hourglass of marketing genius hidden in Beaverton. Proving the enduring appeal of Just Do It.

‘’Just Do It’’ works because it is synonymous with Nike’s brand and every strategic marketing touchpoint Nike works towards. It doesn’t dominate the brand. It simply embodies it. It works in perfect harmony with The Swoosh logo and acts as a perfect full-stop to sign off those rip-roaring adverts. As a tagline, it is extremely effective. It really is the jewel in that air-bubble crown.

But, as an idea, I don’t believe in Just Do It — as much as I do ‘’Impossible is Nothing’’. It doesn’t have the same heft or layers that Adidas’ now-defunct tagline does (discontinued in 2014). Which, I think is the problem. ‘’Impossible is Nothing’’ works better as a brand philosophy. Not as a digestible tool that moves products. This is why they changed strategies (the new tagline is: Adidas is All In).

Eight years ago, maybe consumers didn’t want that. But now at a time when political parties mean nothing, brand storytelling and marketing mythology have become much more important. Look at Nike’s work with Colin Kaepernick and Caster Semenya. This borders on social activism, but is of course, profitable (Nike have made $6 billion since the Kaepernick advert). And adidas’ vow to only use recycled plastics by 2024, compared to Donald Duck Trump removing the United States from the Paris Agreement while he painted the White House orange, shows who is driving change that matters.

In light of all this, alongside Adidas’ very extensive coffers, it might be the right time to bring ‘’Impossible is Nothing’’ back. The revenue generated by The Three Stripes over the last few years hasn’t come from campaigns and taglines. It has come through hype marketing, collaborations, and BOOST. Which is a sign of the times. So  reviving the tagline, right now, at a time when consumers need something to believe in, wouldn’t hurt them one bit.

After all… Impossible is Nothing.