Just Doing It: What It’s Like to Design NFL Uniforms for Nike
Just Doing It: What It’s Like to Design NFL Uniforms for Nike
A Nike insider talks about working with team owners, dealing with fan feedback, doing things “the Nike way,” balancing innovation vs. aesthetics … and creating those alarm clock numbers for the Bucs.
Reminder: Uni Watch’s time on Substack will be coming to a close in late May. After that, I’ll be taking a break for at least a month, and then my Substack will return in the summer with a new name and a new subject focus. To learn more about all of this, including what it will mean for those of you with paid subscriptions, look here. — Paul
A few weeks ago I published an interview with former Nike art director Tom Andrich — the man who created the NFL’s Color Rush program. Thanks to Andrich’s insider knowledge and deep design archive, it turned out to be probably the best interview in Uni Watch history.
Until now.
I was so happy with that first piece that I asked Andrich if he’d be willing to have another chat with me. Fortunately for all of us, he was happy with that first piece as well, so he said yes. I think you’ll find the resulting interview very interesting.
Last time, Andrich and I talked about a specific design initiative (Color Rush). This time, I wanted to explore the larger issue of what it’s like to design NFL uniforms for Nike. We talked about the “Nike approach,” how Nike is perceived by fans, how Nike designers feel about negative fan reactions, what it’s like when a uniform leaks, and more. Andrich is an unusually thoughtful and candid interview subject, so our conversation ended up being super-informative and enlightening. I know you’re going to like it!
If you missed that first interview, you should probably start there. But just to recap the basics: Andrich began working for Nike in 1984, when he became the company’s first in-house graphic designer working solely on apparel. Among many other responsibilities, he oversaw all of the company’s NFL uniform work from 2012, when Nike became the NFL’s official outfitter, through his retirement in 2021.
This interview is based on a Zoom call that I had with Andrich about two weeks ago. That conversation was supplemented by a few email exchanges that I’ve incorporated into the text. Here’s the transcript, edited for length and clarity — enjoy.
Uni Watch: I want to start by talking a little bit about the process. Let’s say an NFL team is getting a new uniform set — I know that can take several years. How does that process get started? Like, does the team notify the NFL? Or does the team contact Nike? Or does Nike ever just approach a team and say, “Hey, maybe you weren’t thinking about getting a makeover, but we had some ideas for you”?
Andrich: I’m not sure what time of year this happens, but every year there’s a space of a month or two when teams are allowed to apply for a new uniform. So once a team did that, we would hear about it through the NFL. Sometimes we’d get a little heads-up, like the NFL would tell us that they’re hearing things about this team or that team maybe applying for it in the future. But nobody on our end could contact a team or talk to a team directly.
UW: So the team would notify the NFL, and the NFL would notify you.
Andrich: Yeah.
UW: If a team wanted to hire their own designer, instead of having Nike do the design, are they permitted to do that?
Andrich: I don’t know if “permitted” is the right word — they just do it [presumably no pun intended — Paul].
UW: So that’s an option. In other words, it’s not necessarily a given or a rule that Nike has to execute the design.
Andrich: Right.
UW: Did any NFL teams take that option while you were at Nike?
Andrich: I don’t think so. Some teams added small details and used us basically as the hands to execute that. “Okay, we want to add this wordmark, we’re thinking we want it on the back but we’re not sure. We want to try some placement things, size things.” Those are the only things I can think of. I can’t think about a larger uniform design that any of the teams did on their own.
UW: Obviously, if a team did hire their own designer, they’d have to pay them. But if Nike does the design, does the team pay Nike, or is or is that work included in Nike’s contract with the league?