SKUP | LOGO DESIGN AND BRAND IDENTITY Nike × Foot Locker

Branding · Naming · Logo design · Merchandise design · Communication materials — 2020

In early 2020 Nike gave us an unusual brief: design a completely new visual identity for an internal training and rewards programme, developed in collaboration with Foot Locker.

Not a Nike logo. Not a Foot Locker logo. A third brand, born from the union of two retail giants, designed to motivate and reward Foot Locker’s sales staff, the Stripers, who demonstrated mastery in Nike product knowledge.

The naming: SKUP

The name is the first strategic decision of any project, and often the most important.

SKUP is born from the fusion of two systems: Nike’s SKU platform, which educates retail partners on product details, and Foot Locker’s Laceup system, which trains Stripers on sales excellence. Merging the two names into one was already a manifesto of the collaboration.

But SKUP does something more: it phonetically echoes “cup”, trophy, award, recognition. In a single word, the origin of the programme, its collaborative nature and the promise of recognition for those who stand out are all condensed.

The logo: a third brand born from two

Designing the SKUP logo meant balancing two very different identities without diluting either.

Nike brings the language of performance: dynamism, technical precision, the swoosh as a global symbol of movement and achievement. Foot Locker brings the graphic confidence of urban heritage: referee stripes, bold typography, the black, white and orange palette.

The SKUP logo needed to feel authentically belonging to both without being literally either one. We built a visual identity that captures Nike’s energy through form and movement, references Foot Locker’s graphic strength through visual treatment, and works independently as the programme’s brand.

The result reads as collaborative, not compromised. A brand born from two, not an average of two.

The monthly communication system

The SKUP programme unfolds across the year through a calendar of monthly themes, each with its own colour palette and keyword: Travel in April, Music in May, Tech in July, Sneakers and Utilities in August, Sport in September.

We developed the visual communication system for each theme, ensuring that the SKUP identity remained recognisable across significant chromatic and thematic variations. The coherence of the system is the proof of the brand’s strength.

The reward merchandise

A rewards programme is measured by the desirability of what is earned. We designed a series of bags featuring the SKUP identity, not generic promotional items but products that a Striper genuinely wants to earn and use. Quality materials, considered design, strong identity.

The merchandise becomes a communication tool: every Striper using a SKUP bag carries the programme beyond the training context and into daily life.

Client: Nike / Foot Locker Scope: Naming, logo design, communication system, merchandise design Year: 2020 Typology: Collaborative brand identity, employee rewards programme Studio: VANDA Designers

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