Greek Mythology in Modern Brands
How Ancient Gods Power Today's Companies
Greek mythology is everywhere in the business world. Many of the world's most recognizable brands take their names, logos, and identity from ancient Greek figures — often in ways that reveal a deep understanding of what these mythological characters represent.
Nike is named after the Greek goddess of victory — a winged figure who flew over battlefields crowning the winners. The swoosh logo represents her wing. Amazon takes its name from the Amazons, the legendary warrior women who were fierce, independent, and unconquerable. Hermès, the luxury brand, is named after Hermes, the messenger god associated with commerce, travel, and the protection of merchants. The Trident logo of Maserati references Poseidon's weapon. Oracle, the tech company, references the Oracle at Delphi. Pandora jewelry alludes to the first woman in Greek mythology. Ajax cleaning products reference the Greek hero known for his strength. The Medusa head appears on the Versace logo. The Starbucks siren is inspired by Greek maritime mythology. Even the word 'cereal' comes from Ceres, the Roman name for Demeter, goddess of grain and harvest.
The stories behind the names
Some brand origin stories are as interesting as the myths they borrow from, and a few popular claims do not hold up.
Nike. The name was suggested in 1971 by Jeff Johnson, Blue Ribbon Sports' first employee, who reportedly dreamed of the winged goddess. The swoosh was designed the same year by Carolyn Davidson, a graphic design student at Portland State University, for a modest fee. The link between the swoosh and Nike's wing is a popular reading; the design brief was simply to suggest motion. In Greek art Nike is often shown small, alighting on the outstretched hand of Zeus or Athena, as on the lost gold and ivory statue of Athena in the Parthenon.
Hermès. Despite the shared spelling, the Paris fashion house is named after its founder, the harness-maker Thierry Hermès, who opened his workshop in 1837. The connection to the god Hermes, patron of travellers and traders, is a happy coincidence rather than the source of the name.
Amazon. Jeff Bezos chose the name because the Amazon is the largest river in the world, a metaphor for scale. The river itself, however, was named by the Spanish explorer Francisco de Orellana's expedition after reports of fighting women, a direct allusion to the Amazons of Greek legend.
Oracle. The software company took its name from a database project code-named Oracle that Larry Ellison and colleagues had worked on for the CIA. The idea of a source that answers any question goes back to the oracle at Delphi.
Maserati. The trident logo, designed by Mario Maserati, was inspired by Giambologna's Fountain of Neptune in Bologna, the company's home city. Neptune is the Roman counterpart of Poseidon.
Starbucks. The logo is a twin-tailed siren adapted from an old woodcut. Greek Sirens were bird-bodied women; the fish-tailed form comes from medieval art. The company chose a figure who lured sailors as a nod to Seattle's seafaring history and to Moby-Dick, which also supplied the Starbuck name.
More mythological names in commerce and science
- Versace's Medusa — Gianni Versace chose the head of Medusa in 1978, a motif he knew from Roman ruins near his childhood home in Reggio Calabria. He reportedly said that anyone who fell in love with Medusa could not escape her.
- Mobil's Pegasus — the red winged horse has identified the oil company's stations since the early twentieth century, a symbol of speed and power borrowed from Pegasus.
- Olympus — the Japanese optics company adopted the name of the home of the gods as a brand in 1921.
- NASA's Apollo and Artemis programmes — Apollo was chosen in 1960 for the god who drove the chariot of the sun. Its twenty-first-century successor is named after his twin sister Artemis, a goddess linked with the moon.
- Midas — the American car-repair chain borrows the king whose touch turned everything to gold, though the myth itself is a warning about greed.
Why myth works for branding
Mythological names come with built-in associations that need no explanation: victory, speed, wisdom, irresistible attraction. They are also free of trademark claims by the original owners, sound authoritative, and travel across languages. The risk is that the full story sometimes undercuts the intended message. Pandora's jar released every evil into the world, Midas nearly starved, and the Trojan Horse was a deception that destroyed a city. Brands generally rely on the fact that customers remember the name, not the ending.
Further reading
- Hesiod, Theogony — the ancient source for Nike as a daughter of Styx and the Titan Pallas, and one of the two Hesiodic accounts of Pandora.
- Ovid, Metamorphoses — the classic versions of the Midas story and of Medusa's transformation.
- Margaret Mark and Carol S. Pearson, The Hero and the Outlaw (2001) — a marketing book that applies Jungian archetypes, many drawn from myth, to brand identity.
- Edith Hamilton, Mythology (1942) — a long-standing popular introduction to the stories behind most of these names.
- Stephen Fry, Mythos (2017) — a lively modern retelling of the Greek myths, with frequent notes on words and names that survive today.
Frequently asked questions
Is Nike named after a Greek goddess?
Yes. Nike is the Greek goddess of victory, often shown with wings. The name was chosen in 1971.
Is Hermès named after the Greek god Hermes?
No. It is named after its founder, Thierry Hermès, although the shared name with the god of trade is often noted.
Why is the Starbucks logo a siren?
The founders wanted an image that evoked the sea and seductive allure. The two-tailed figure is based on an old woodcut, not on Greek art.
What car brand uses Poseidon's trident?
Maserati, whose trident is based on the statue of Neptune in Bologna.