The Swoosh Still Leads

Sometimes the story isn’t in the numbers. Brand imagery, icons, and visuals can also be data.

This Week's Chart Drop

In a matter of weeks, I read two articles highlighting how Nike turned product bans into marketing triumphs:

• In 2013, Roger Federer’s orange-soled Wimbledon shoes broke the all-white dress code and were banned after one match, prompting Nike’s “One Match Wonders” ad and a sell-out.
• In the 1980s, red-and-black Air Jordans violated NBA rules, costing Michael Jordan $5,000 per game. Marketed as “banned” but wearable, they became enduring icons.

Decades later, these campaigns are still talked about. It inspired me to compare Nike’s brand value to its closest rivals, showing how memorable storytelling lives on.

Design Tricks

Images are also data, when used with purpose. Copying company logos directly from a website often leaves a white background that clashes with an off-white template. In Excel, use Picture Format → Remove Background to clean them up. A great feature

Each week, I share one simple Excel visual—from sport, business, or personal finance—to give finance professionals ideas on how to present their data

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