Transcript
ADIDAS FUN FACTS
Adidas & Puma Adidas was formed after a feud between Adolf Dassler and his older brother Rudolf After working together for years at the family company called Gebrüder Dassler. This feud resulted in two popular brands Adidas & Puma, where Adolf founded Adidas, and Rudolf formed Puma. The feud went on as long as the brothers lived and continued even after that. Recently in 2009, both the companies had a friendly football game to bury the hatchet. It was held as an initiative to support the international day of peace by the UN.
The Name The company’s founder Adolf Dassler was commonly referred to as Adi, and he wanted his brand to be called “Addas” after the parting of ways with his brother. However, he wasn’t able to get it registered, as there was a children’s shoe company in Germany with that name. Later Adi went with Adidas and that is the name that became an instant hit across the world.
The Iconic Three Stripes Logo The Adidas three stripes logo is iconic and is one of the most recognized logos in the world. However the stripes were bought by Dassler’s in 1951, he purchased the logo from the Finnish shoe brand Karhu. It is said that Karhu sold the trademark to Adidas for two bottles of whiskey and €1600.
The Shower Shoe The Adilette’s with the three stripes are one of the most popular shower footwear in the world. The German football team approached Adidas in the 1960’s for a solution to the shower problem. They needed sturdy footwear for the players to wear in the shower rooms. The Adilettes are now a popular choice for most of us shower singers.
Michael Jordan & David Beckham The Wall Street Journal wrote that Michael Jordan was in line to sign a contract with Adidas in 1984. However, Nike offered Jordan a $500,000 per year deal. Adidas couldn’t top that sum and they passed up Jordan. David Beckham became a part of the Adidas family in 2003 after he signed a lifetime deal worth $160.8 million, which was the highest paid contract at the time. The popular former soccer star retired from professional football in 2013, but still serves as the brand ambassador for the brand.
