3. Nike, Title IX, and Women We take women ’ s athletics for granted now, but before a civil rights law was amended girls didn ’ t have the same funding or access to sports that boys did. Title IX made it illegal not to have equal opportunity for boys and girls. And even after Title IX was enacted it wasn ’ t until 1990 that Nike began thinking about their female customers. Before that Nike did not advertise to women at all.

5. And just recently in the 2012 London Olympics we saw American women overtake men not only in having more athletes participate, but more medals overall. This is a direct result of Title IX creating opportunities for women to be athletes.

6. But before 1990 Nike put little effort into women ’ s advertising. This is of course ironic because the name Nike is originally from mythology, the Greek goddess of victory.

7. Nike (the company) seemed content to be the industry ’ s alpha male. Then came Janet. Her candid dialogue spoke to women, and instigated a cultural revolution. Never before had female athletes been so boldly supported. Women had a rallying cry and Nike matured as a brand.

8. The copywriter on the women's fitness account was 32-year-old Janet Champ, who started at the agency five years before as a receptionist, who in two years worked her way up to writing ads full time. Champ wanted to appeal to women who weren't hard-core athletes. What struck her was how women always took responsibility and time for everyone else but themselves. She wanted to get the message across that women needed to take care of themselves, preferably in Nikes.

9. She decided to write the life story of a woman: an eight-page ad. Nike worried that there was too much to read. A basic rule of advertising is to keep the copy short. So Nike, Wieden and Kennedy took a big chance.

10. When Oprah read the advertisement on television she cried.

11. The 8 Page Insert