Greek Mythology in Companies' Logos Essay Example

Despite that Greek mythology dates back thousands of years, it is still deeply woven within modern society. The modern world is permeated with Greek mythology in many things such as company logos.

Nike is a sportswear and footwear company whose logo is based off of a Greek goddess. The logo, commonly known as the ‘swoosh’, “was inspired by the wings of Nike, the Greek goddess of victory” (“Greeker”). Because Nike is a sports brand, the goddess’ association with speed, strength, power, and victory is appropriate for Nike’s overall image as well as their target audience, which are athletes. As the most recognized and largest supplier of athletic gear, Nike continues to make its mark, as customers all across the globe are achieving more speed, power, and victory, while wearing the wings of Nike. Though the majority of buyers do not realize it, they are showing how Nike and her traits influence the modern world and how Greek mythology can appear in plain objects like everyday shoes.

Goodyear is a tire company whose logo is based off of Hermes. The logo in the middle of Goodyear, ‘the winged foot’, was inspired by “the winged foot of Hermes” ("GreekGodsParadise" ). The winged shoes in Goodyears logo were inspired by the winged shoes of Hermes, the Greek messenger god. Because Goodyear is a tire brand, Hermes’s association with speed and reliability is appropriate for Goodyear’s target image and audience.  Although most of modern society does not see it, many companies subtly add Greek mythology into their logos to creatively integrate their overall image.

Both the common phrase, ‘Achilles’ heel’, and the medical term, ‘Achilles’ tendon’, were derived from the mythical hero of the Trojan war, Achilles.“By holding him upside down by his heel”, Achilles’ mother had dipped the boy into the magical river Styx, so he could be invulnerable. However, his heel never touched the river, which was later hit by a poison arrow and thus ended Achilles’ life. Achilles’ heel is now used by many people to describe weak spots, and is used in the medical profession as ‘Achilles’ tendon’ also known to be the calcaneal tendon which happens to be very vulnerable to tearing and injuries. Podiatrists use this term everyday to diagnose people with tendonitis without realizing how this weak spot was part of the demise of one of the most legendary mythical heroes, Achilles.

Another modern term/phrase is the Trojan Horse in reference to the turning point of the retelling of the Trojan War in the Odyssey. To put an end to the war and to trick the Trojans into thinking they won, Odysseus came up with a plan to build a massive wooden horse as a “gift” to the Trojans, and since the Trojans loved horses, they brought this huge, hollow wooden horse, that was filled with Greek soldiers, right into their city. This led to the destruction of Troy due to the Greek army being able to infiltrate the city this way.“According to Quintus Smyrnaeus, Odysseus thought of building a great wooden horse (the horse being the emblem of Troy), hiding an elite force inside, and fooling the Trojans into wheeling the horse into the city as a trophy. Under the leadership of Epeius, the Greeks built the wooden horse in three days.” (wikipedia idk trojan horse) The phrase “Trojan Horse”, nowadays, refers to a trick that deceives the victim into allowing the aggressor into their sanctuary or secure place. (where i got the definition from)

This term is often used to describe a type of malware that would trick the target into downloading it. This term is also often used in politics in order to convince the audience to not fall for the enemy’s “tricks”. (politics) Inclusively, Greek mythology is clearly intertwined with the modern world.