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History of the Adidas brand
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Adidas founder Adolf Dassler was born on November 3, 1900 in the German city of Herzogenaurach (Bavaria).
The Dassler family was not rich, his father worked as a baker, and his mother worked in a laundry.
After the end of the First World War, the Dassler family found itself in an even more difficult situation.
In 1920, the Dasslers began to make shoes in order to somehow earn money in the difficult post war period.
The women in the Dassler family were engaged in a pattern made of canvas, the men (Adolf, who was called Adi, his brother Rudolf (Rudy) and their father) were engaged in cutting shoes.
It all started with sleeping slippers, which were designed by Adi Dassler, and which were sewn from decommissioned military uniforms.
The shoes were in good demand, including because Adi's brother Rudolf had the talent of a salesman and was an excellent marketer.
The first logo of the Dassler brothers joint venture
At the age of 23, Adi convinces his brother Rudolf to start a joint business.
On the first of July, 1924, they registered a small company called the Dassler Brothers Shoe Factory in Herzogenauerach.
The brothers with their different characters complement each other well: Adi is a calm, thoughtful designer, and Rudolf is a sociable salesman.
In 1925, an important event happened that determined the fate of the Dassler business.
Adi, who is passionate about football, created the world's first cleats with spikes.
The blacksmith who forged these spikes helped him in his work.
Very soon, football boots, along with gymnastic slippers, became the main products of the company.
Professional football players quickly realized the advantage of new shoes, and therefore the Dassler factory began to expand rapidly.
In 1927, the brothers rented their first production premises and expanded the staff to 25 people.
Production has grown to 100 pairs of shoes per day.
Passionate about sports and the production of shoes, Adi Dassler is guided by three main principles in his technological developments: to produce shoes that would be as suitable as possible for sports, protect the athlete from injuries and would be as wear resistant as possible.
In 1927, Dassler registered spikes for short distance races with the German Patent Office (D. R. P.).
This model was developed together with Joe Weitzer (senior coach of the German team) specifically for the 1928 Olympic Games in Amsterdam.
At the same time, in 1928, the Dassler brand gained real fame, since at the Amsterdam Olympics many athletes performed in shoes from the Dassler brothers.
In 1929, Adi Dassler produces his first football boots on a leather sole with spikes, "decorated with rivets".
Despite the growing economic crisis, the company is developing rapidly.
In 1931, the brothers get the opportunity to buy out the factory, which they have been renting until now.
At the same time, Adi Dassler produces his first tennis shoes.
The further development of the brand's fame is directly related to the" victories " of Dassler sports shoes at the Olympic Games.
For example, in 1932, the German runner Artur Jonat took third place in the 100 meter race at the Olympic Games in the United States.
Four years later, the famous American runner Jesse Owen, who competed in Dassler shoes, wins 4 gold medals and sets 5 world records at the Berlin Olympics.
This Olympiad is gaining worldwide fame for the brand.
In 1935, the company's revenues exceed 400,000 Reichsmarks.
Most German athletes train in Dassler shoes.
Every year, Adi Dassler organizes sports competitions between employees of friendly companies.
In 1937, together with the Olympic Committee, Adi Dassler developed specialized sports shoes, trying to take into account the specifics of each sport.
Dassler's product range includes 30 models of shoes for eleven sports, including 4 models of roller skates.
Next year, the Dassler brothers will buy a second factory in the center of Herzogenauerach.
By that time, the production volume reaches 1,000 pairs of shoes per day.
The Second World War makes significant adjustments to a successfully developing business.
After the defeat of Nazi Germany, Dassler's possessions find themselves in the zone of occupation of American troops.
Officers are located in their house, and the factory is obliged to supply 1,000 pairs of hockey skates per month on an indemnity.
The factory remained under American control until 1947.
As compensation, she receives army ammunition, such as tents, old baseball gloves, etc.
As in the early 1920s, this material goes into business and is used for the production of shoes, which, thanks to Adi's beautiful imagination, retains its high quality.
In 1948, the Dassler brothers separated.
Each brother gets one of the factories in the city of Herzogenaurach.
They conclude an agreement according to which none of them should use the family name in the name of their company.
Adi's company gets the name adidas, - abbreviated from Adi Dassler, Rudy's company Puma.
The world famous Dassler brand ceases to exist, and newly created companies become tough competitors.
At the same time, the legendary Three Stripes appear on the shoes that Adi produces.
This circumstance increases the hostility between the brothers, since the Three Stripes arose due to the fact that Adi used the Dassler company sign, adding another stripe to it.
The first logo of the company Puma owned by Rudy Dasler
The modern logo of the PUMA company
In 1949, The three Stripes become an officially registered trademark of adidas.
Adi Dassler's efforts are focused on creating new football boots.
He is setting up the production of his first cleats with adjustable cast rubber spikes.
Official logos of Adidas
In 1949, adidas came out ahead in competition with Puma thanks to the invention of Adi Dassler.
He creates the first cleats with removable spikes.
Soon there are new models of all kinds of boots that take into account the features of various surfaces.
The Olympics in Helsinki, held in 1952, also marked the victory of adidas, since most athletes preferred shoes of this brand.
After the Olympics, adidas started expanding its product range.
Bags and sports jackets under the adidas brand began to appear.
They were manufactured by a textile factory owned by Willy Seltenreich.
Sales were so high that soon Seltenreich was working only with adidas.
The triumph for the company is the victory of the German national team in the World Cup in 1954, which performed in adidas shoes.
It was at this time that Adi Dassler decided to place adidas ads on signs located around the football field.
In addition to the fans who were present at the stadium, these signs can also be seen by TV viewers.
In 1956, Adi's son, Horst Dassler, organizes an adidas advertising campaign at the Olympic Games in Melbourne.
A new era of sports advertising is beginning.
Three quarters of all Olympic medalists in Melbourne wear shoes with Three Stripes.
This marks the beginning of Horst's diplomatic career in sports.
In 1957, Adi Dassler is developing a new revolutionary idea of a polyamide sole for football boots; he uses kangaroo leather for the upper part.
He creates the first ever "air cushion sole" and the first polyamide sole for running shoes.
The 1960s were extremely successful for adidas.
He leads at the Olympic Games in Rome in 1960, then at the FIFA World Cup in Chile in 1962, and in 1964 - at the Olympic Games in Tokyo.
In 1968, adidas became the first company in the world to produce shoes with a raised polyurethane sole, which is guaranteed for a period of one year.
"Achilles" jogging shoes are on sale.
In the same year, at the Olympic Games in Mexico City, 85% of athletes perform in adidas shoes.
High jumper Dick Fosbury wins gold, having conquered a height of 2.24 m.
For the first time, he uses a new jumping technique, later called the "Fosbury flop", which radically changed this sport.
Long jumper Bob Beamon breaks the world record, exceeding it by 61 cm.
Athletes in adidas equipment win 37 gold, 35 silver and 35 bronze medals.
Especially for the 1972 European Championship, ultralight and soft football boots are being developed for Franz Beckenbauer.
Very stylish shoes made of patent leather "serve until complete abrasion".
The German national football team wins first the European Football Championship (1971), and then the World Cup (1974).
adidas is becoming the standard in the world of football.
The Olympic Games in Munich in 1972 are becoming a new milestone in the company's history.
For the first time, adidas is an official sponsor of the Olympic Games.
78% of athletes compete in adidas shoes and win 35 gold, 37 silver and 35 bronze medals.
In 1978, Adi Dassler died.
The company passes to his wife and son Horst.
In 1983, Horst founded the world's first marketing company "International Sports, Culture & Leisure (ISL)" (international sports, culture and leisure), designed for sports events.
After the death of his mother in 1985, the company passed to Horst Dassler.
By that time, he was already becoming the most influential figure in the world of sports.
Realizing that the company needs radical changes, he orders a study of one of the most famous management consulting firms.
Based on the results obtained, Horst begins to transform the company.
He places increasing responsibility on the company's main headquarters in Herzogenauer.
Horst quickly realizes that adidas will withstand increasing competition only by radically changing its structure.
Production at factories in Germany owned by adidas, as a result of the rapid increase in cost, is becoming less profitable.
Now adidas must turn from a manufacturing company into a trading company.
In 1986, Horst Dassler unexpectedly dies at the age of 51.
The reorganization of the company could not be completed, and difficult times are coming for adidas.
In 1990, adidas ' losses were already $ 100 million.
At the same time, young people preferred new brands, such as Nike and Reebok.
In addition, at that time, most of the adidas products were manufactured in Germany, which required high costs, while Nike and Reebok organized production at factories in Thailand and China.
It was necessary to correct the situation: adidas was still a very well known brand, and it would be unwise to just let it die.
In the same year, Bernard Tapie acquired a controlling stake in adidas (80% of the shares), and adidas ceased to be a family enterprise.
Since 1993, a new team of specialists has been writing a new history of Adidas.
Talented managers from Nike and Reebok, the company's main competitors, come to the company.
Production is gradually being transferred to countries where wages are significantly lower than in Europe.
Then adidas products almost completely disappeared from retail, after which the company's branded stores opened all over the world.
In 1996, adidas became the main sponsor of the Olympic Games.
After this event, sales of products under the adidas brand increased by 50%.
Although the main audience of adidas was in Europe, after the Olympics, the company's share in the US market increased to 12%.
In order to be in the stream of time and find their consumers, Adidas managers showed close attention to new sports, for example, they brought streetball to Europe, actively began to work with new youth trends and trends, thanks to which they managed to win the sympathy of American and European hip hop and rap culture.
Despite all the changes, adidas still defended its position as a company that sponsors football events in the fight against such a large competitor as Nike.
He was the main sponsor of the 1998 FIFA World Cup, sponsored the future champion, the French national team.
Athletes of the new generation are the messengers of the latest technologies and modern design of adidas products.
In 1997, basketball superstar Kobe Bryan, tennis player Anna Kournikova and David Beckham participated in a large scale adidas advertising campaign.
In the same year, adidas buys the French company Salomon, a leading manufacturer of winter sports goods.
The new concern, after the sale of an unprecedented number of shares, is renamed "adidas Salomon Joint Stock Company".
The magazine "Manager" calls the head of adidas Robert Louis Dreyfus "Manager of the year".
The third millennium begins for adidas with new achievements.
In 2000, the company became the official supplier and licensee of the European Football Championship in the Netherlands and Belgium, equips the European Champion the French national team.
At the Olympic Games in Sydney, adidas proved to be a real Olympic brand: it was represented in 26 out of 28 sports and equipped more than 3000 athletes.
In 2001, Herbert Heiner was officially appointed CEO and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the company.
In July 2002, adidas Salomon completes the formation of its revolutionary new structure of dividing the main adidas brand into three parts, and positions its third part as follows: "adidas Sport Style is the future of sportswear".
The other two previously existing departments were renamed adidas Sport Performance and adidas Sport Heritage.
The world famous Japanese designer Yoji Yamamoto becomes the creative director of the new branch of adidas — Sport Style.
In October, the first collection he designed was presented at the Stade de Charlety in Paris.
Despite the difficult market conditions, 2003 is a record year for adidas Salomon.
Sales volumes reach the level of 6.3 billion euros, which is 5% better than previous indicators (taking into account inflation).
Net income increased by 14% and reached the amount of 260 million euros.
In the same year, adidas launches a legendary advertising campaign, with the slogan "Impossible is nothing" (the impossible is possible):
"Impossible is just a big word that little people hide behind.
It is easier for them to live in a familiar world than to find the strength to change something.
The impossible is not a fact.
This is just an opinion.
The impossible is not a sentence.
This is a challenge.
The impossible is a chance to manifest yourself.
Impossible is not forever.
The impossible is possible."
This campaign was liked by a lot of people on the planet, becoming a real slogan for them in life.
In addition, such sports stars as Muhammad Ali, David Beckham and others took part in the campaign.
Commercials with Beckham have become iconic.
Perhaps, this adidas campaign is one of the best examples of emotional advertising (Beckham now produces his own clothing collection together with adidas).
In 2004, the sensational victory of the Greek national team at the European Championship contributed to the popularization of adidas products in this country, since the company was the general sponsor of the national team.
The Olympic Games in Athens are becoming a new platform that adidas uses as a showcase for its brand products.
adidas is the official supplier of equipment for 21 National Olympic Committees, including the host country Greece, as well as the United States, Germany, Great Britain, France and Cuba.
In total, more than 4,000 athletes from 45 countries compete in equipment with three stripes; adidas supplies products for 26 of the 28 Olympic sports.
Athletes wearing shoes and clothing from adidas win 101 gold, 73 silver and 93 bronze medals.
Adi Dassler was the first entrepreneur who began to attract world famous athletes to advertise their products.
Active advertising has become one of the cornerstones of Adi's corporate policy.
For every major sporting event, he created new technologies and each time proved the superiority of adidas shoes.
Active cooperation with athletes helped Adi to create optimal shoes for almost every sports discipline.
Together with his son Horst, Adi Dassler created an international company that was represented and remains prominent at all world sporting events to this day.
Today, the adidas brand is one of the most famous and best selling sports equipment in the world.
Today, it is associated not only with shoes.
Adidas represents, perhaps, everything that is possible in the world of sports, this is clearly reflected in the entire variety of brand commercials.
The adidas sign, the shamrock, symbolizes the Olympic spirit on three continents.
The brand is very popular among young people and professional athletes and has a strong position in the football world, not letting its main competitor, Nike, go there.
A very important event in recent years for adidas was the purchase of Reebok in 2005.
At the same time, there were no drastic changes to the purchased brand.
It continues to develop as a separate, independent brand.
Dassler
Adidas, the history of the brand
author: Anna Arzumanyan
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