Adidas
Encyclopedia
Adidas AG is a German sports apparel manufacturer and parent company
of the Adidas Group, which consists of the Reebok
sportswear company, TaylorMade-Adidas
golf company (including Ashworth
), and Rockport
. Besides sports footwear, the company also produces other products such as bags, shirts, watches, eyewear, and other sports- and clothing-related goods.The company is the largest sportswear
manufacturer in Europe and the second-biggest sportswear manufacturer in the world, with American rival Nike
being the biggest.
Adidas was founded in 1948 by Adolf "Adi" Dassler
, following the split of Gebrüder Dassler Schuhfabrik between him and his older brother Rudolf
. Rudolf later established Puma
, which was the early rival of Adidas. Registered in 1949, Adidas is currently based in Herzogenaurach
, Germany, along with Puma.
The company's clothing and shoe designs typically feature three parallel bars
, and the same motif is incorporated into Adidas's current official logo. The "Three Stripes" were bought from the Finnish sport company Karhu Sports
in 1951. The company revenue
for 2009 was listed at €
10.38 billion and the 2008 figure at €10.80 billion.
Adolf "Adi" Dassler
started to produce his own sports shoes in his mother's wash kitchen in Herzogenaurach
, Bavaria after his return from World War I. On 1 July 1924, his brother Rudolf "Rudi" Dassler
joined the business, which became (Dassler Brothers Shoe Factory) and prospered. The pair started the venture in their mother's laundry, but, at the time, electricity supplies in the town were unreliable, and the brothers sometimes had to use pedal power from a stationary bicycle to run their equipment.
By the 1936 Summer Olympics
, Adi Dassler drove from Bavaria on one of the world's first motorways to the Olympic village with a suitcase full of spikes and persuaded U.S. sprinter
Jesse Owens
to use them, the first sponsorship for an African American. Following Owens's haul of four gold medals, his success cemented the good reputation of Dassler shoes among the world's most famous sportsmen. Letters from around the world landed on the brothers' desks, and the trainers of other national teams were all interested in their shoes. Business boomed and the Dasslers were selling 200,000 pairs of shoes each year before World War II.
The brothers split up in 1947, with
in 1987, the company was bought in 1989 by French industrialist Bernard Tapie
, for ₣
1.6 billion
(now €243.9 million), which Tapie borrowed. Tapie was at the time a famous specialist of rescuing bankrupt companies, an expertise on which he built his fortune.
Tapie decided to move production offshore
to Asia. He also hired Madonna
for promotion. He sent, from Christchurch
, New Zealand, a shoe sales representative to Germany and met Adolf Dassler's descendants (Amelia Randall Dassler and Bella Beck Dassler) and was sent back with a few items to promote the company there.
In 1992, unable to pay the loan interest, Tapie mandated the Crédit Lyonnais
bank to sell Adidas, and the bank subsequently converted the outstanding debt owed into equity
of the enterprise, which was unusual as per the prevalent French banking practice. The state-owned bank had tried to get Tapie out of dire financial straits as a personal favour to Tapie, it is reported, because Tapie was Minister of Urban Affairs (ministre de la Ville) in the French government at the time.
In February 1993, Crédit Lyonnais sold Adidas to Robert Louis-Dreyfus
, a friend of Bernard Tapie for a much higher amount of money than what Tapie owed, 4.485 billion (€683.514 million) francs rather than 2.85 billion (€434.479 million). Tapie later sued the bank, because he felt "spoiled" by the indirect sale.
Robert Louis-Dreyfus
became the new CEO of the company. He was also the president of Olympique de Marseille
, a team Tapie had owned until 1993.
Tapie filed for personal bankruptcy in 1994. He was the object of several lawsuits, notably related to match fixing
at the football club. During 1997, he served 6 months of an 18-month prison sentence in La Santé prison in Paris. In 2005, French courts awarded Tapie a €135 million compensation (about 886 million francs).
Youth Group, SOS Children's Villages
became the main beneficiary.
In 1997, Adidas AG acquired the Salomon Group
who specialized in ski wear, and its official corporate name was changed to Adidas-Salomon AG because with this acquisition Adidas also acquired the Taylormade Golf company and Maxfli
, which allowed them to compete with Nike Golf.
In 1998, Adidas sued the NCAA over their rules limiting the size and number of commercial logos on team uniforms and apparel. Adidas withdrew the suit, and the two groups established guidelines as to what three-stripe designs would be considered uses of the Adidas trademark.
In 2003, Adidas filed a lawsuit in a British court challenging Fitness World Trading's use of a two-stripe motif similar to Adidas's three stripes. The court ruled that despite the simplicity of the mark, Fitness World 's use was infringing because the public could establish a link between that use and Adidas's mark.
In September 2004, top English fashion designer Stella McCartney
launched a joint-venture line with Adidas, establishing a long-term partnership with the corporation. This line is a sports performance collection for women called "Adidas by Stella McCartney", and it has been critically acclaimed.
Also in 2005, on 3 May, Adidas told the public that they sold their partner company Salomon Group
for €485m to Amer Sports
of Finland.
In August 2005, Adidas declared its intention to buy British rival Reebok
for $3.8 billion (US$). This takeover was completed with partnership in January 2006 and meant that the company would have business sales closer to those of Nike in North America. The acquisition of Reebok would also allow Adidas to compete with Nike
worldwide as the number two athletic shoemaker in the world.
Adidas has global corporate headquarters in Germany, and many other business locations around the world such as Portland OR, Hong Kong, Toronto, Taiwan, England, Japan, Australia, and Spain. Mainly sold in the U.S., Adidas makes lots of assets from these countries and is expanding to more oversea countries.
In 2005, Adidas introduced the Adidas 1
, the first ever production shoe to use a microprocessor
. Dubbed by the company "The World's First Intelligent Shoe", it features a microprocessor capable of performing 5 million calculations per second that automatically adjusts the shoe's level of cushioning to suit its environment. The shoe requires a small, user-replaceable battery that lasts for approximately 100 hours of running. On 25 November 2005, Adidas released a new version of the Adidas 1 with an increased range of cushioning, allowing the shoe to become softer or firmer, and a new motor with 153 percent more torque.
On 11 April 2006, Adidas announced an 11-year deal to become the official NBA
apparel provider. They will make NBA, NBDL, and WNBA
jerseys and products as well as team-coloured versions of the "Superstar" basketball shoe. This deal (worth over $400 million) takes the place of the previous 10-year Reebok deal that was put in place in 2001.
Adidas remain a major company in the supply of team kits for international football teams.
Adidas also makes referee kits that are used in international competition and by many countries and leagues in the world. The company has been an innovator in the area of footwear for the sport, with notable examples including development of the Copa Mundial
moulded boot used for matches on firm dry pitches for almost forty years. The studded equivalent was named World Cup in celebration of the 1978 tournament won by Argentina, one of the nations it supplied at the time. Some of the most famous football teams are currently sponsored by Adidas.
Adidas became renowned for advancing the Predator boot design developed by ex-Liverpool and Australian international player Craig Johnston
. This design featured a ribbed rubber structure for the upper leather of the shoe, used to accent the movement of the ball when struck; highly skilled players claimed they were able to curve the flight of the ball more easily when wearing this new contoured design. The Predator also features the Craig Johnston-invented Traxion sole.
FIFA
, the world governing body of football, commissioned specially designed footballs for use in its own World Cup
tournaments to favour more attacking play. The balls supplied for the 2006 World Cup
, the Teamgeist, were particular noteworthy for their ability to travel further than previous types when struck, leading to longer range goal strikes that were intended to increase the number of goals scored. Goalkeepers were believed to be less comfortable with the design, claiming it would move significantly and unpredictably in flight.
Adidas also introduced another new ball for the 2010 World Cup
. The Jabulani
ball was designed and developed by Loughborugh University in conjunction with Chelsea FC. It received much criticism from players, managers and pundits for being too hard to control. The lighter and more aerodynamic ball led to many shots and passes being over hit. The Jabulani was widely blamed for the low numbers of long range goals or even remotely accurate attempts in the opening stage of the tournament.
As well as the aforementioned Predator boot, Adidas also manufacture the F50
and adiPure
range of football boots.
Adidas also provides apparel and equipment for all teams in Major League Soccer
.
s. While the Feather is made for the "regular player", and the Response for the "club player", Adidas targets the "tournament player" with the 12.2 oz Barricade tour model. Adidas sponsors the following professional players with mainly clothing apparel and footwear: Ana Ivanović
, Andy Murray, Maria Kirilenko
, Caroline Wozniacki
, Justine Henin, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Daniela Hantuchová
, Alicia Molik
, Fernando Verdasco
, Gilles Simon
, Fernando González
, Flavia Pennetta
, Laura Robson
, Melanie Oudin
, and Sorana Cîrstea
. Adidas tennis apparel contains the ClimaCool technology found in other athletic jerseys and shoes.
In November 2009 World Number 4 Andy Murray was confirmed as Adidas's highest paid star with a 5 year contract reported to be worth $24.5m.
Players sponsored by Adidas can take advantage of the Adidas Player Improvement Program, where the company provides coaches, fitness trainers and sports psychologists to players in order to further their careers. The program includes legendary coaches such as Darren Cahill
and Sven Groeneveld.
In Cincinnati, at the ATP Tennis Tournament
in Mason, they have also sponsored the ball-boy and ball-girl uniforms.
sportswear company, TaylorMade-Adidas
golf company, and Rockport
. The Adidas Group is one of the global leaders in the sporting goods industry offering a wide range of products around the three core segments of Adidas, Reebok, and TaylorMade-Adidas Golf. Adidas Golf sells and manufactures Adidas-brand golf apparel, footwear, and accessories.
wear, and its official corporate name was changed to Adidas-Salomon AG because with this acquisition Adidas also acquired the TaylorMade Golf company and Maxfli
, which allowed them to compete with Nike Golf. Salomon sold its controlling interest in TaylorMade and its other sports equipment companies to global giant Adidas AG.
In 1998, Adidas Golf USA moved its business operations from Tualatin
, Oregon, to the Carlsbad
, California headquarters of TaylorMade Golf, acquired by Adidas-Salomon. Adidas Golf USA had thirty employees to relocate. Carlsbad is also the headquarters of one of its primary competitors, Callaway Golf Company.
In 1999, TaylorMade and AdidasGolf USA, were merged into a new company—called TaylorMade-Adidas Golf—with world headquarters in Carlsbad. Mark King was named president of the company he had begun his career with in 1981 as a sales representative after a short stint as vice president of sales and marketing at Callaway Golf Ball Co. in 1998.
In November 2008, Ashworth (clothing)
became a wholly owned subsidiary of TaylorMade-Adidas Golf, complementary to the synthetic performance fabrics of Adidas Golf.
Women's equipment includes footwear, shirts, shorts, skirts, pants, outerwear, base layers, and eyewear. Youth equipment includes both boys and girls footwear, apparel, and eyewear.
of India and made shoes for him. Tendulkar continues to wear Adidas shoes while playing matches. Since 2008, Adidas has sponsored the cricket bat used by Sachin Tendulkar
. It created a new cricket bat, 'Adidas Master Blaster', personalized for him.
In 2008, Adidas made their move into English cricket market by sponsoring English batting star Kevin Pietersen
after the cancellation of his lifetime deal with Woodworm
, when they ran into financial difficulties. The following year they signed up fellow England player Ian Bell, Pakistan opening batsman Salman Butt
and Indian Player Ravindra Jadeja. Having made cricket footwear for many years, the company finally entered the field of bat manufacture in 2008 and their products are available in the Incurza, Pellara and Libro ranges.
Adidas manufactures uniforms for the England cricket team. Adidas signed with Cricket South Africa
in 2011 and the uniforms worn by South African Cricket Team
during and after the Cricket World Cup 2011 will be manufactured by the German giant.
They also sponsor the South Korea national cricket team.
In the Indian Premier League
(IPL), Adidas are the official apparel sponsor for the teams Mumbai Indians
, Delhi Daredevils
and Pune Warriors India.
scene alongside Adidas's stripe-sided polyester suits.
Adidas is also the current outfitter of all 30 franchises in the National Basketball Association
(replacing the Reebok
brand after the merger) and sponsors numerous players past and present like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
and Tracy McGrady
, as well as Dwight Howard
, Chauncey Billups
, Derrick Rose
, Eric Gordon
, Michael Beasley
, Josh Smith
and Tim Duncan
. Adidas used to endorse Kobe Bryant
with the Adidas Equipment KB8 as his first signature shoe but stopped endorsing him in July 2002. The company also endorsed Kevin Garnett
until he opted out of his contract in 2010; he is currently endorsing Anta
. Lebron James
also wore Adidas at high school. Now he endorses Nike
to date. Gilbert Arenas
was an Adidas endorser until the now-infamous gun incident last season; he is currently un-endorsed.
equipment, and will sponsor the Adidas National Lacrosse Classic in July 2008 for the top 600 high school underclassmen lacrosse players in the United States.
Adidas make rugby balls and other rugby gear. They are the current kit and ball supplier to the New Zealand All Blacks
, Irish Munster Rugby
, the Argentinian Pumas
, and the South African Stormers
and Western Province
rugby union teams among others. Adidas are also the official match ball supplier to the Heineken Cup
.
. In 2006, Adidas gymnastics leotards for women and Adidas men's comp shirts, gymnastics pants and gymnastics shorts have been available in the USA, with seasonal leotards offered for Spring, Summer, Fall and Holidays. Starting in 2009, Adidas gymnastics wear has been available worldwide through GK Elite Sportswear
.
Adidas Skateboarding also has a skateboarding team. The team consists of: Mark Gonzales
, Dennis Busenitz, Tim O'Connor, Silas Baxter-Neal, Pete Eldridge, Benny Fairfax, Lucas Puig, Nester Judkins, Lem Villemin
,Vince Del Valle and Jake Brown.
and Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan.
From 1997 to 2008, Adidas sponsored New York Yankees
.
In Japan, Adidas is the official apparel sponsor for the teams Yomiuri Giants
and Waseda University
.
, watches, eyewear
, bags, baseball cap
s, and sock
s.
As well, Adidas has a branded range of male and female deodorant
s, perfume
s, aftershave
and lotion
s.
, Puma AG
and several other sportswear brands was examined in a recent study. The study found consumers did not exhibit unduly high loyalty towards such brands.
During the mid to late 1990s, Adidas divided the brand into three main groups with each a separate focus: Adidas Performance was designed to maintain their devotion to the athlete; Adidas Originals
was designed to focus on fashion and life-style; and Style Essentials, with the main group within this one being Y-3.
"Impossible is Nothing" is the current mainstream marketing slogan
for Adidas. This campaign was developed by 180/TBWA based in Amsterdam but also with significant work being done by TBWA/Chiat/Day in San Francisco – particularly for its basketball campaign "Believe In Five".TBWA\Chiat\Day commissioned Zane Peach to produce images for 2007 international ad campaign.
. Adidas is a key sponsor and supplier to the National Basketball Association
(NBA). The company recently unveiled a new NBA game jersey to be worn by all NBA players in games beginning in the 2010–2011 season.
Adidas are the main sponsor and kit supplier of the highly successful New Zealand national rugby
team, the All Blacks
. Adidas also are the kit supplier to the Los Pumas
, the Eagles
, the Irish professional rugby union
team, Munster Rugby
and the French professional rugby union
club, Stade Français.
Adidas also sponsors and produces apparel for the rugby league
club Gold Coast Titans
in the Australian National Rugby League
(NRL) competition.
In cricket, the company are the main and kit sponsors sponsors of the successful Australian Cricket Team and the England Cricket Team. They are also the main sponsors of the Indian cricket
ers Sachin Tendulkar
and Virender Sehwag
and English cricketers Kevin Pietersen
and Ian Bell. They are sponsors of the Indian Premier League
teams Delhi Daredevils
and Mumbai Indians
.
Adidas is the longstanding kit
provider to the Germany national football team
, a sponsorship that began in 1954 and is contracted to continue until at least 2018. Adidas also sponsors the Argentine, Japanese, Mexican, Scottish, Spanish and Colombian national football teams, among others.
Adidas are very active at sponsoring top football clubs such as R.S.C. Anderlecht
, Wisła Kraków, Rapid Vienna, Real Madrid
, Aberdeen F.C.
, AC Milan
, Dynamo Kyiv, Metalist
, Partizan Belgrade
, Chelsea
,, Palmeiras, Fluminense, Bayern Munich
, Rosenborg BK, West Bromwich Albion
, Stoke City F.C.
, Lyon
, Marseille
, AFC Ajax, Schalke 04
, Galatasaray
, Benfica, River Plate
, Los Angeles Galaxy
, New York Red Bulls, Beşiktaş
, Fenerbahçe, UANL Tigres
, Panathinaikos
, South Melbourne FC
, IFK Göteborg
, Zamalek SC, Al-Ahly
, Al-Hilal
, Ahli Jeddah, Caracas, Universidad de Chile, Los Millonarios, Beitar Jerusalem F.C., Albirex Niigata
, Atlético Nacional
and C.D. Guadalajara.
Adidas is the apparel partner of the Collingwood Football Club
and the Essendon Football Club
in the Australian Football League
.
Adidas and Major League Soccer
(MLS) announced a 8-year sponsorship agreement in August 2010 that will continue to make Adidas the official athletic sponsor and licensed product supplier for the league, and to work together to expand the developmental league for MLS through 2018.
Adidas also sponsors events such as the London Marathon
and Adidas Sundown Marathon
in Singapore.
In the 1980s, Adidas sponsored rap group Run-D.M.C.
, a breakthrough idea.
For the 2008 Summer Olympics
in Beijing, China, Adidas spent €70 million sponsoring the event, amid criticisms.
Adidas has also been marketing in NASCAR
, sponsoring big name drivers such as Dale Earnhardt, Jr.
and Tony Stewart
.
and commitment to worker welfare have been scrutinised and often criticised.
fans have asked for price cuts and begun purchasing the jersey from overseas vendors after it was revealed that the local price of $NZ220 was more than twice the price offered on some websites.
Adidas has responded by enforcing cross-border agreements to stop overseas retailers from selling to New Zealand residents. It has been labelled a public relations disaster by leading New Zealand PR firms and Consumer advocate groups. The largest New Zealand sportswear retailer Rebel Sport has stated it is angry and is considering selling the All Blacks Jerseys to the general public below cost. As of August 9, 2011, Rebel Sport has decided not to stock the Adidas Rugby Union Jumper.
and a non-retaliation policy towards workers who express concerns. In practice, however, many of Adidas' suppliers have not upheld these standards. At the Panarub factory in Java
, 33 workers were fired after striking for better pay in 2005. PT Kizone is another Indonesian factory where Adidas has received criticism over treatment of workers. They produced products for Adidas as well as Nike
and the Dallas Cowboys
until they closed recently. 2800 workers were laid off and are owed $3 million in severance pay. Nike has contributed $1.5 million but Adidas has not acted. A campaign has been initiated by United Students Against Sweatshops
calling for universities to cut contracts with Adidas.
Parent company
A parent company is a company that owns enough voting stock in another firm to control management and operations by influencing or electing its board of directors; the second company being deemed as a subsidiary of the parent company...
of the Adidas Group, which consists of the Reebok
Reebok
Reebok International Limited, a subsidiary of the German sportswear company Adidas since 2005, is a producer of Athletic shoes, apparel, and accessories. The name comes from the Afrikaans spelling of rhebok, a type of African antelope or gazelle...
sportswear company, TaylorMade-Adidas
Taylormade-adidas
TaylorMade-Adidas Golf Company of Carlsbad, California is a U.S. headquartered subsidiary of the German based Adidas Group. TaylorMade was started in 1979 by Gary Adams, the inventor of the metalwood, and the company has continued to maintain a consistent presence at the top of golf product...
golf company (including Ashworth
Ashworth (clothing)
-History:In 1987, recognizing a niche in the golf market, John Ashworth founded the Ashworth Golf Company. Traveling from the west coast of California to the PGA show in Orlando, John Ashworth set up a 10x10 booth and for the first time showcased the Ashworth line, an asspirational collection of...
), and Rockport
Rockport (company)
The Rockport Company is a manufacturer of shoes based in Canton, Massachusetts.Founded in Marlborough, Massachusetts in 1971 by Bruce Katz, the company produces footwear and operates stores in the United States and 66 countries around the world...
. Besides sports footwear, the company also produces other products such as bags, shirts, watches, eyewear, and other sports- and clothing-related goods.The company is the largest sportswear
Sportswear
Sportswear or activewear is clothing, including footwear, worn for sport or physical exercise. Sport-specific clothing is worn for most sports and physical exercise, for practical, comfort or safety reasons....
manufacturer in Europe and the second-biggest sportswear manufacturer in the world, with American rival Nike
Nike, Inc.
Nike, Inc. is a major publicly traded sportswear and equipment supplier based in the United States. The company is headquartered near Beaverton, Oregon, which is part of the Portland metropolitan area...
being the biggest.
Adidas was founded in 1948 by Adolf "Adi" Dassler
Adolf Dassler
Adolf "Adi" Dassler was the founder of the German sportswear company Adidas....
, following the split of Gebrüder Dassler Schuhfabrik between him and his older brother Rudolf
Rudolf Dassler
Rudolf Dassler was the German founder of the sportswear company PUMA and the older brother of Adidas founder, Adolf "Adi" Dassler. The brothers were partners in a shoe company Adi started, Gebrüder Dassler Schuhfabrik...
. Rudolf later established Puma
PUMA AG
Puma SE, officially branded as PUMA, is a major German multinational company that produces high-end athletic shoes, lifestyle footwear and other sportswear. Formed in 1924 as Gebrüder Dassler Schuhfabrik by Adolf and Rudolf Dassler, relationships between the two brothers deteriorated until the two...
, which was the early rival of Adidas. Registered in 1949, Adidas is currently based in Herzogenaurach
Herzogenaurach
Herzogenaurach is a town in the district of Erlangen-Höchstadt, in Bavaria, Germany. It is probably best known for being the home of the sporting goods companies Adidas and Puma.-Geography:...
, Germany, along with Puma.
The company's clothing and shoe designs typically feature three parallel bars
Three stripes
Three stripes is a registered trademark of Adidas since 1949.Karhu Sports sold the three stripe trademark to Adidas for €1,600 euros and two bottles of Whiskey.- Branding in sports :...
, and the same motif is incorporated into Adidas's current official logo. The "Three Stripes" were bought from the Finnish sport company Karhu Sports
Karhu Sports
Karhu is a Finnish sports brand. Karhu, meaning bear in Finnish, was first using as a sporting goods brand in 1916 by the Finnish company Ab Sport Artiklar...
in 1951. The company revenue
Revenue
In business, revenue is income that a company receives from its normal business activities, usually from the sale of goods and services to customers. In many countries, such as the United Kingdom, revenue is referred to as turnover....
for 2009 was listed at €
Euro sign
The euro sign is the currency sign used for the euro, the official currency of the Eurozone in the European Union . The design was presented to the public by the European Commission on 12 December 1996. The international three-letter code for the euro is EUR...
10.38 billion and the 2008 figure at €10.80 billion.
Gebrüder Dassler Schuhfabrik
Adolf Dassler
Adolf "Adi" Dassler was the founder of the German sportswear company Adidas....
started to produce his own sports shoes in his mother's wash kitchen in Herzogenaurach
Herzogenaurach
Herzogenaurach is a town in the district of Erlangen-Höchstadt, in Bavaria, Germany. It is probably best known for being the home of the sporting goods companies Adidas and Puma.-Geography:...
, Bavaria after his return from World War I. On 1 July 1924, his brother Rudolf "Rudi" Dassler
Rudolf Dassler
Rudolf Dassler was the German founder of the sportswear company PUMA and the older brother of Adidas founder, Adolf "Adi" Dassler. The brothers were partners in a shoe company Adi started, Gebrüder Dassler Schuhfabrik...
joined the business, which became (Dassler Brothers Shoe Factory) and prospered. The pair started the venture in their mother's laundry, but, at the time, electricity supplies in the town were unreliable, and the brothers sometimes had to use pedal power from a stationary bicycle to run their equipment.
By the 1936 Summer Olympics
1936 Summer Olympics
The 1936 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XI Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event which was held in 1936 in Berlin, Germany. Berlin won the bid to host the Games over Barcelona, Spain on April 26, 1931, at the 29th IOC Session in Barcelona...
, Adi Dassler drove from Bavaria on one of the world's first motorways to the Olympic village with a suitcase full of spikes and persuaded U.S. sprinter
Sprint (race)
Sprints are short running events in athletics and track and field. Races over short distances are among the oldest running competitions. The first 13 editions of the Ancient Olympic Games featured only one event—the stadion race, which was a race from one end of the stadium to the other...
Jesse Owens
Jesse Owens
James Cleveland "Jesse" Owens was an American track and field athlete who specialized in the sprints and the long jump. He participated in the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, Germany, where he achieved international fame by winning four gold medals: one each in the 100 meters, the 200 meters, the...
to use them, the first sponsorship for an African American. Following Owens's haul of four gold medals, his success cemented the good reputation of Dassler shoes among the world's most famous sportsmen. Letters from around the world landed on the brothers' desks, and the trainers of other national teams were all interested in their shoes. Business boomed and the Dasslers were selling 200,000 pairs of shoes each year before World War II.
Company split
Both brothers joined the Nazi Party, but Rudolf was slightly closer to the party. During the war, a growing rift between the pair reached a breaking point after an Allied bomb attack in 1943, when Adi and his wife climbed into a bomb shelter that Rudolf and his family were already in: "The dirty bastards are back again", Adi said, referring to the Allied war planes, but Rudolf was convinced his brother meant him and his family. After Rudolf was later picked up by American soldiers and accused of being a member of the Waffen SS, he was convinced that his brother had turned him in.The brothers split up in 1947, with
- Rudi forming a new firm that he called Ruda – from Rudolf Dassler, later rebranded PumaPUMA AGPuma SE, officially branded as PUMA, is a major German multinational company that produces high-end athletic shoes, lifestyle footwear and other sportswear. Formed in 1924 as Gebrüder Dassler Schuhfabrik by Adolf and Rudolf Dassler, relationships between the two brothers deteriorated until the two...
, and - Adi forming a company formally registered as Adidas AG from Adi Dassler on 18 August 1949. The acronym All Day I Dream About Sport, although sometimes considered the origin of the Adidas name, was applied retroactively, which makes it a backronymBackronymA backronym or bacronym is a phrase constructed purposely, such that an acronym can be formed to a specific desired word. Backronyms may be invented with serious or humorous intent, or may be a type of false or folk etymology....
. The name is actually a portmanteau formed from "Adi" (a nickname for Adolf) and "Das" (from "Dassler").
The Tapie affair
After a period of trouble following the death of Adolf Dassler's son Horst DasslerHorst Dassler
Horst Dassler was the son of Adolf "Adi" Dassler, who founded Adidas. Horst Dassler started Adidas France in Landersheim, France, competing against his father's Adidas Germany and his uncle's Puma...
in 1987, the company was bought in 1989 by French industrialist Bernard Tapie
Bernard Tapie
Bernard Tapie is a French businessman, politician and occasional actor, singer, and TV host. He was Ministre de la Ville in the government of Pierre Bérégovoy, a businessman specializing in recovery for bankrupted companies, among which Adidas is the most famous ; and owner of sports teams...
, for ₣
French franc
The franc was a currency of France. Along with the Spanish peseta, it was also a de facto currency used in Andorra . Between 1360 and 1641, it was the name of coins worth 1 livre tournois and it remained in common parlance as a term for this amount of money...
1.6 billion
1000000000 (number)
1,000,000,000 is the natural number following 999,999,999 and preceding 1,000,000,001.In scientific notation, it is written as 109....
(now €243.9 million), which Tapie borrowed. Tapie was at the time a famous specialist of rescuing bankrupt companies, an expertise on which he built his fortune.
Tapie decided to move production offshore
Offshoring
Offshoring describes the relocation by a company of a business process from one country to another—typically an operational process, such as manufacturing, or supporting processes, such as accounting. Even state governments employ offshoring...
to Asia. He also hired Madonna
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
for promotion. He sent, from Christchurch
Christchurch
Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the country's second-largest urban area after Auckland. It lies one third of the way down the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula which itself, since 2006, lies within the formal limits of...
, New Zealand, a shoe sales representative to Germany and met Adolf Dassler's descendants (Amelia Randall Dassler and Bella Beck Dassler) and was sent back with a few items to promote the company there.
In 1992, unable to pay the loan interest, Tapie mandated the Crédit Lyonnais
Crédit Lyonnais
Crédit Lyonnais is a historic French bank. In the early 1990s it was the largest French bank, majority state-owned at that point. Crédit Lyonnais was the subject of poor management during that period which almost led to its bankruptcy in 1993...
bank to sell Adidas, and the bank subsequently converted the outstanding debt owed into equity
Stock
The capital stock of a business entity represents the original capital paid into or invested in the business by its founders. It serves as a security for the creditors of a business since it cannot be withdrawn to the detriment of the creditors...
of the enterprise, which was unusual as per the prevalent French banking practice. The state-owned bank had tried to get Tapie out of dire financial straits as a personal favour to Tapie, it is reported, because Tapie was Minister of Urban Affairs (ministre de la Ville) in the French government at the time.
In February 1993, Crédit Lyonnais sold Adidas to Robert Louis-Dreyfus
Robert Louis-Dreyfus
Robert Louis-Dreyfus was a businessman who had major success as Chief Executive Officer of Adidas-Salomon and Saatchi & Saatchi. He was a majority shareholder of the French football team Olympique de Marseille, and during his tenure they re-emerged as a major European football club.- Early life...
, a friend of Bernard Tapie for a much higher amount of money than what Tapie owed, 4.485 billion (€683.514 million) francs rather than 2.85 billion (€434.479 million). Tapie later sued the bank, because he felt "spoiled" by the indirect sale.
Robert Louis-Dreyfus
Robert Louis-Dreyfus
Robert Louis-Dreyfus was a businessman who had major success as Chief Executive Officer of Adidas-Salomon and Saatchi & Saatchi. He was a majority shareholder of the French football team Olympique de Marseille, and during his tenure they re-emerged as a major European football club.- Early life...
became the new CEO of the company. He was also the president of Olympique de Marseille
Olympique de Marseille
Olympique de Marseille is a French association football club based in Marseille. Founded in 1899, the club plays in Ligue 1 and have spent most of its history in the top tier of French football. Marseille have been French champions nine times and have won the Coupe de France a record ten times. In...
, a team Tapie had owned until 1993.
Tapie filed for personal bankruptcy in 1994. He was the object of several lawsuits, notably related to match fixing
Match fixing
In organised sports, match fixing, game fixing, race fixing, or sports fixing occurs as a match is played to a completely or partially pre-determined result, violating the rules of the game and often the law. Where the sporting competition in question is a race then the incident is referred to as...
at the football club. During 1997, he served 6 months of an 18-month prison sentence in La Santé prison in Paris. In 2005, French courts awarded Tapie a €135 million compensation (about 886 million francs).
Post—Tapie era
In 1994, combined with FIFAFIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
Youth Group, SOS Children's Villages
SOS Children's Villages
SOS Children's Villages is an independent, non-governmental international development organisation which has been working to meet the needs and protect the interests and rights of children since 1949. It was founded by Hermann Gmeiner in Imst, Austria...
became the main beneficiary.
In 1997, Adidas AG acquired the Salomon Group
Salomon Group
The Salomon Group is a sports equipment manufacturing company that originated in Annecy, France. The company was started in 1947 by François Salomon and his wife and son. In 1997 it became part of the Adidas group. On 2 May 2005, Adidas-Salomon announced that it had agreed to sell the Salomon...
who specialized in ski wear, and its official corporate name was changed to Adidas-Salomon AG because with this acquisition Adidas also acquired the Taylormade Golf company and Maxfli
Maxfli
Maxfli is a brand of sports equipment, most recognized for its golf balls, currently owned by Dick's Sporting Goods of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Dick's purchased the brand from TaylorMade-adidas Golf on February 11, 2008, however, the Noodle trademark and all golf ball patents remained with...
, which allowed them to compete with Nike Golf.
In 1998, Adidas sued the NCAA over their rules limiting the size and number of commercial logos on team uniforms and apparel. Adidas withdrew the suit, and the two groups established guidelines as to what three-stripe designs would be considered uses of the Adidas trademark.
In 2003, Adidas filed a lawsuit in a British court challenging Fitness World Trading's use of a two-stripe motif similar to Adidas's three stripes. The court ruled that despite the simplicity of the mark, Fitness World 's use was infringing because the public could establish a link between that use and Adidas's mark.
In September 2004, top English fashion designer Stella McCartney
Stella McCartney
Stella Nina McCartney is an English fashion designer. She is the daughter of former Beatles member Sir Paul McCartney and the late photographer and animal rights activist, Linda McCartney.-Early life:...
launched a joint-venture line with Adidas, establishing a long-term partnership with the corporation. This line is a sports performance collection for women called "Adidas by Stella McCartney", and it has been critically acclaimed.
Also in 2005, on 3 May, Adidas told the public that they sold their partner company Salomon Group
Salomon Group
The Salomon Group is a sports equipment manufacturing company that originated in Annecy, France. The company was started in 1947 by François Salomon and his wife and son. In 1997 it became part of the Adidas group. On 2 May 2005, Adidas-Salomon announced that it had agreed to sell the Salomon...
for €485m to Amer Sports
Amer Sports
Amer Sports Oyj is the largest manufacturer of sporting equipment in the world. Established in 1950, the company is based in Helsinki, Finland...
of Finland.
In August 2005, Adidas declared its intention to buy British rival Reebok
Reebok
Reebok International Limited, a subsidiary of the German sportswear company Adidas since 2005, is a producer of Athletic shoes, apparel, and accessories. The name comes from the Afrikaans spelling of rhebok, a type of African antelope or gazelle...
for $3.8 billion (US$). This takeover was completed with partnership in January 2006 and meant that the company would have business sales closer to those of Nike in North America. The acquisition of Reebok would also allow Adidas to compete with Nike
Nike, Inc.
Nike, Inc. is a major publicly traded sportswear and equipment supplier based in the United States. The company is headquartered near Beaverton, Oregon, which is part of the Portland metropolitan area...
worldwide as the number two athletic shoemaker in the world.
Adidas has global corporate headquarters in Germany, and many other business locations around the world such as Portland OR, Hong Kong, Toronto, Taiwan, England, Japan, Australia, and Spain. Mainly sold in the U.S., Adidas makes lots of assets from these countries and is expanding to more oversea countries.
In 2005, Adidas introduced the Adidas 1
Adidas 1
The adidas 1 was a Trainer made by adidas, introduced in early 2005. It is the first general consumer sneaker to incorporate a computer...
, the first ever production shoe to use a microprocessor
Microprocessor
A microprocessor incorporates the functions of a computer's central processing unit on a single integrated circuit, or at most a few integrated circuits. It is a multipurpose, programmable device that accepts digital data as input, processes it according to instructions stored in its memory, and...
. Dubbed by the company "The World's First Intelligent Shoe", it features a microprocessor capable of performing 5 million calculations per second that automatically adjusts the shoe's level of cushioning to suit its environment. The shoe requires a small, user-replaceable battery that lasts for approximately 100 hours of running. On 25 November 2005, Adidas released a new version of the Adidas 1 with an increased range of cushioning, allowing the shoe to become softer or firmer, and a new motor with 153 percent more torque.
On 11 April 2006, Adidas announced an 11-year deal to become the official NBA
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
apparel provider. They will make NBA, NBDL, and WNBA
Women's National Basketball Association
The Women's National Basketball Association is a women's professional basketball league in the United States. It currently is composed of twelve teams. The league was founded on April 24, 1996 as the women's counterpart to the National Basketball Association...
jerseys and products as well as team-coloured versions of the "Superstar" basketball shoe. This deal (worth over $400 million) takes the place of the previous 10-year Reebok deal that was put in place in 2001.
Running
Adidas currently manufactures several running shoes, including the adiStar Salvation 3, the adiStar Ride 3 (the replacement for the adiStar Cushion 6), the Supernova Sequence 4 (the replacement for the Supernova Control 10), and the Supernova Glide 3, among others. In addition, their performance apparel is widely used by runners. Adidas also uses kangaroo leather to make their more expensive shoes.Football (soccer)
One of the main focuses of Adidas is football kit and associated equipment.Adidas remain a major company in the supply of team kits for international football teams.
Adidas also makes referee kits that are used in international competition and by many countries and leagues in the world. The company has been an innovator in the area of footwear for the sport, with notable examples including development of the Copa Mundial
Adidas Copa Mundial
The Copa Mundial football boot was released in 1979, but designed for the 1982 FIFA World Cup games. Going through very slight changes since then, the Copa is made of 100% kangaroo leather upper for maximum ball control and comfort...
moulded boot used for matches on firm dry pitches for almost forty years. The studded equivalent was named World Cup in celebration of the 1978 tournament won by Argentina, one of the nations it supplied at the time. Some of the most famous football teams are currently sponsored by Adidas.
Adidas became renowned for advancing the Predator boot design developed by ex-Liverpool and Australian international player Craig Johnston
Craig Johnston
Craig Johnston is a former football player who was one of the first Australians to make a major impact in the English game. He is remembered for his time spent with Liverpool throughout the 1980s...
. This design featured a ribbed rubber structure for the upper leather of the shoe, used to accent the movement of the ball when struck; highly skilled players claimed they were able to curve the flight of the ball more easily when wearing this new contoured design. The Predator also features the Craig Johnston-invented Traxion sole.
FIFA
FIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
, the world governing body of football, commissioned specially designed footballs for use in its own World Cup
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
tournaments to favour more attacking play. The balls supplied for the 2006 World Cup
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
, the Teamgeist, were particular noteworthy for their ability to travel further than previous types when struck, leading to longer range goal strikes that were intended to increase the number of goals scored. Goalkeepers were believed to be less comfortable with the design, claiming it would move significantly and unpredictably in flight.
Adidas also introduced another new ball for the 2010 World Cup
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
. The Jabulani
Adidas Jabulani
The Jabulani is an Association football ball manufactured by Adidas. It was the official match ball for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.The ball is made from eight spherically molded panels and has a textured surface intended to improve aerodynamics...
ball was designed and developed by Loughborugh University in conjunction with Chelsea FC. It received much criticism from players, managers and pundits for being too hard to control. The lighter and more aerodynamic ball led to many shots and passes being over hit. The Jabulani was widely blamed for the low numbers of long range goals or even remotely accurate attempts in the opening stage of the tournament.
As well as the aforementioned Predator boot, Adidas also manufacture the F50
Adidas F50
The Adidas F50 range of football boots is Adidas's signature line of customisable, lightweight boots. First released in 2004, in the build-up to UEFA Euro 2004, the range was released as a successor of the X-Line range and as a direct competitor to Nike's Mercurial Vapor range, which had been...
and adiPure
AdiPure
adiPURE is a range of football boots developed by the German sportswear manufacturer Adidas. Adidas based the design on the Adidas World Cup boots for the 1978 World Cup...
range of football boots.
Adidas also provides apparel and equipment for all teams in Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
.
Tennis
Adidas has sponsored tennis players and recently introduced a new line of tennis racquetRacquet
A racquet or racket is a sports implement consisting of a handled frame with an open hoop across which a network of cord is stretched tightly. It is used for striking a ball in such games as squash, tennis, racquetball, and badminton...
s. While the Feather is made for the "regular player", and the Response for the "club player", Adidas targets the "tournament player" with the 12.2 oz Barricade tour model. Adidas sponsors the following professional players with mainly clothing apparel and footwear: Ana Ivanović
Ana Ivanovic
Ana Ivanović is a former world no. 1 Serbian tennis player. As of November 7, 2011, she is ranked 22th on the WTA rankings. She beat Dinara Safina to win the 2008 French Open and was the runner-up in singles at the 2007 French Open and the 2008 Australian Open...
, Andy Murray, Maria Kirilenko
Maria Kirilenko
Maria Yuryevna Kirilenko is a Russian professional tennis player. Kirilenko won her first WTA Tour title in 2005, defeating Anna-Lena Grönefeld in the China Open. Kirilenko reached no. 18, her career-high singles ranking, on the WTA tour in July 2008. She won the junior event at the 2002 Canadian...
, Caroline Wozniacki
Caroline Wozniacki
Caroline Wozniacki is a Danish professional tennis player. She is the current world no. 1 on the WTA Tour. As of 7 November 2011, she has held this position for 56 weeks...
, Justine Henin, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Daniela Hantuchová
Daniela Hantuchová
Daniela Hantuchová is a Slovak professional tennis player. She turned professional in 1999 and had her breakthrough year in 2002, when she won her first Tier I tournament and ended the year in the top 10.She is currently coached by Larri Passos...
, Alicia Molik
Alicia Molik
Alicia Molik is a Australian professional female tennis player. She reached a career high singles rank of number 8 and also won a bronze medal for Australia at the 2004 Athens Olympics. Molik also reached a career high doubles ranking of number 6, and won two grand slam doubles titles, at the...
, Fernando Verdasco
Fernando Verdasco
Fernando Verdasco Carmona is a professional tennis player. He is currently ranked no. 22 in the world. Verdasco started playing tennis at four years of age and had a full-time coach when he was eight...
, Gilles Simon
Gilles Simon
Gilles Simon is a French professional tennis player and former world no. 6. He is a nine-time winner on the ATP World Tour...
, Fernando González
Fernando González
----Fernando Francisco González Ciuffardi is a professional tennis player from Chile. He is known for having one of the hardest forehands on the circuit. In Spanish he is called El Bombardero de La Reina and Mano de Piedra...
, Flavia Pennetta
Flavia Pennetta
Flavia Pennetta is an Italian professional tennis player. She became Italy's first top 10 female singles player on 17 August 2009 and also the first ever Italian Tennis player to be ranked No.1 in Doubles on 28 February 2011. As of 10 October 2011, Pennetta is ranked World No. 18 in singles and...
, Laura Robson
Laura Robson
Laura Robson is a British tennis player. She debuted on the International Tennis Federation junior tour in 2007, and a year later won the Wimbledon Junior Girls' Championship at the age of 14. As a junior, she also twice reached the final of the Australian Open, in 2009 and 2010. She won her...
, Melanie Oudin
Melanie Oudin
Melanie Oudin is an American tennis player and former World Junior No. 2. Her career high rank is World No. 31, which she achieved on April 19, 2010...
, and Sorana Cîrstea
Sorana Cîrstea
Sorana Mihaela Cîrstea, is a Romanian tennis player. Her career high rank was World No. 23, achieved on 17 August 2009, after she reached the quarterfinals of the 2009 French Open and the semifinals of the 2009 Los Angeles Open.- Playing style :...
. Adidas tennis apparel contains the ClimaCool technology found in other athletic jerseys and shoes.
In November 2009 World Number 4 Andy Murray was confirmed as Adidas's highest paid star with a 5 year contract reported to be worth $24.5m.
Players sponsored by Adidas can take advantage of the Adidas Player Improvement Program, where the company provides coaches, fitness trainers and sports psychologists to players in order to further their careers. The program includes legendary coaches such as Darren Cahill
Darren Cahill
Darren Cahill is a tennis coach and former professional tennis player from Australia.Nicknamed "Killer", Cahill turned professional in 1984...
and Sven Groeneveld.
In Cincinnati, at the ATP Tennis Tournament
Association of Tennis Professionals
The Association of Tennis Professionals or ATP was formed in 1972 by Donald Dell, Jack Kramer, and Cliff Drysdale to protect the interests of male professional tennis players. Since 1990, the association has organized the worldwide tennis tour for men and linked the title of the tour with the...
in Mason, they have also sponsored the ball-boy and ball-girl uniforms.
Golf
Adidas Golf is part of Adidas, a German-based sports apparel manufacturer and part of the Adidas Group, which consists of ReebokReebok
Reebok International Limited, a subsidiary of the German sportswear company Adidas since 2005, is a producer of Athletic shoes, apparel, and accessories. The name comes from the Afrikaans spelling of rhebok, a type of African antelope or gazelle...
sportswear company, TaylorMade-Adidas
Taylormade-adidas
TaylorMade-Adidas Golf Company of Carlsbad, California is a U.S. headquartered subsidiary of the German based Adidas Group. TaylorMade was started in 1979 by Gary Adams, the inventor of the metalwood, and the company has continued to maintain a consistent presence at the top of golf product...
golf company, and Rockport
Rockport (company)
The Rockport Company is a manufacturer of shoes based in Canton, Massachusetts.Founded in Marlborough, Massachusetts in 1971 by Bruce Katz, the company produces footwear and operates stores in the United States and 66 countries around the world...
. The Adidas Group is one of the global leaders in the sporting goods industry offering a wide range of products around the three core segments of Adidas, Reebok, and TaylorMade-Adidas Golf. Adidas Golf sells and manufactures Adidas-brand golf apparel, footwear, and accessories.
Company timeline
In 1997, Adidas AG acquired the Salomon Group who specialized in alpine skiAlpine skiing
Alpine skiing is the sport of sliding down snow-covered hills on skis with fixed-heel bindings. Alpine skiing can be contrasted with skiing using free-heel bindings: Ski mountaineering and nordic skiing – such as cross-country; ski jumping; and Telemark. In competitive alpine skiing races four...
wear, and its official corporate name was changed to Adidas-Salomon AG because with this acquisition Adidas also acquired the TaylorMade Golf company and Maxfli
Maxfli
Maxfli is a brand of sports equipment, most recognized for its golf balls, currently owned by Dick's Sporting Goods of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Dick's purchased the brand from TaylorMade-adidas Golf on February 11, 2008, however, the Noodle trademark and all golf ball patents remained with...
, which allowed them to compete with Nike Golf. Salomon sold its controlling interest in TaylorMade and its other sports equipment companies to global giant Adidas AG.
In 1998, Adidas Golf USA moved its business operations from Tualatin
Tualatin, Oregon
Tualatin is a city located primarily in Washington County in the U.S. state of Oregon. A small portion of the city is also located in neighboring Clackamas County. It is a southwestern suburb in the Portland Metropolitan Area that is located south of Tigard...
, Oregon, to the Carlsbad
Carlsbad, California
-2010:The 2010 United States Census reported that Carlsbad had a population of 105,328. The population density was 2,693.1 people per square mile . The racial makeup of Carlsbad was 87,205 White, 1,379 African American, 514 Native American, 7,460 Asian, 198 Pacific Islander, 4,189 from other...
, California headquarters of TaylorMade Golf, acquired by Adidas-Salomon. Adidas Golf USA had thirty employees to relocate. Carlsbad is also the headquarters of one of its primary competitors, Callaway Golf Company.
In 1999, TaylorMade and AdidasGolf USA, were merged into a new company—called TaylorMade-Adidas Golf—with world headquarters in Carlsbad. Mark King was named president of the company he had begun his career with in 1981 as a sales representative after a short stint as vice president of sales and marketing at Callaway Golf Ball Co. in 1998.
In November 2008, Ashworth (clothing)
Ashworth (clothing)
-History:In 1987, recognizing a niche in the golf market, John Ashworth founded the Ashworth Golf Company. Traveling from the west coast of California to the PGA show in Orlando, John Ashworth set up a 10x10 booth and for the first time showcased the Ashworth line, an asspirational collection of...
became a wholly owned subsidiary of TaylorMade-Adidas Golf, complementary to the synthetic performance fabrics of Adidas Golf.
Product
Adidas Golf sells apparel, footwear, and accessories for men, women, and youth. Men's equipment includes footwear, shirts, shorts, pants, outerwear, base layer and eyewear.Women's equipment includes footwear, shirts, shorts, skirts, pants, outerwear, base layers, and eyewear. Youth equipment includes both boys and girls footwear, apparel, and eyewear.
Cricket
In the 1990s, Adidas signed world's iconic batsman Sachin TendulkarSachin Tendulkar
Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar is an Indian cricketer widely regarded as one of the greatest batsmen in the history of cricket. He is the leading run-scorer and century maker in Test and one-day international cricket. He is the only male player to score a double century in the history of ODI cricket...
of India and made shoes for him. Tendulkar continues to wear Adidas shoes while playing matches. Since 2008, Adidas has sponsored the cricket bat used by Sachin Tendulkar
Sachin Tendulkar
Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar is an Indian cricketer widely regarded as one of the greatest batsmen in the history of cricket. He is the leading run-scorer and century maker in Test and one-day international cricket. He is the only male player to score a double century in the history of ODI cricket...
. It created a new cricket bat, 'Adidas Master Blaster', personalized for him.
In 2008, Adidas made their move into English cricket market by sponsoring English batting star Kevin Pietersen
Kevin Pietersen
Kevin Peter Pietersen, MBE is a South African-born English cricketer. He is a right-handed batsman and occasional off spin bowler who plays for England and Surrey...
after the cancellation of his lifetime deal with Woodworm
Woodworm Cricket Company
Woodworm Cricket Company is a sports equipment and apparel company specialising in cricket. The company markets cricket bats as well as a full range of other cricket equipment, and have also recently branched out into golfwear, Hockey, Camping and Ski Wear....
, when they ran into financial difficulties. The following year they signed up fellow England player Ian Bell, Pakistan opening batsman Salman Butt
Salman Butt
Salman Butt is a former Pakistani cricketer who was a regular Test and ODI left-handed opening batsman. He made his Test debut on 3 September 2003 in the third Test against Bangladesh, and a year later made his ODI debut against West Indies on 22 September 2004. He was appointed captain of the...
and Indian Player Ravindra Jadeja. Having made cricket footwear for many years, the company finally entered the field of bat manufacture in 2008 and their products are available in the Incurza, Pellara and Libro ranges.
Adidas manufactures uniforms for the England cricket team. Adidas signed with Cricket South Africa
Cricket South Africa
Cricket South Africa is the governing body for professional and amateur cricket in South Africa. The board was originally created as the United Cricket Board of South Africa in 1991.-History:...
in 2011 and the uniforms worn by South African Cricket Team
South African cricket team
The South African national cricket team represent South Africa in international cricket. They are administrated by Cricket South Africa.South Africa is a full member of the International Cricket Council, also known as ICC, with Test and One Day International, or ODI, status...
during and after the Cricket World Cup 2011 will be manufactured by the German giant.
They also sponsor the South Korea national cricket team.
In the Indian Premier League
Indian Premier League
The Indian Premier League is a professional league for Twenty20 cricket competition in India. It was initiated by the Board of Control for Cricket in India , headquartered in Mumbai, and is supervised by BCCI Vice President Rajeev Shukla, who serves as the league's Chairman and Commissioner...
(IPL), Adidas are the official apparel sponsor for the teams Mumbai Indians
Mumbai Indians
Mumbai Indians , is a franchise cricket team representing Mumbai in the Indian Premier League. The team is one of the eight founding members of the IPL in 2008. Mumbai Indians are currently led by Sachin Tendulkar, who is the Icon Player for the team and is coached by Robin Singh...
, Delhi Daredevils
Delhi Daredevils
Delhi Daredevils is the Delhi franchise for the Indian Premier League in cricket. The franchise is owned by the GMR Group.-Franchise history:...
and Pune Warriors India.
Basketball
Adidas has been a longtime basketball shoe manufacturer and is one of the leading basketball brands in the world. They are most famous for their late 1960s iconic Superstar and Pro Model shoes, affectionately known as "shelltoes" for their stylized hard rubber toe box. These were made very popular in the 1980s hip hop streetwearHip hop fashion
Hip hop fashion is a distinctive style of dress originating with African American youth on the scene of New York City, Los Angeles, Orlando, Chicago, Philadelphia, the San Francisco Bay Area, Detroit, Memphis, Atlanta, St. Louis, Jersey City, Miami, Toronto and Vancouver among others. Each city...
scene alongside Adidas's stripe-sided polyester suits.
Adidas is also the current outfitter of all 30 franchises in the National Basketball Association
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
(replacing the Reebok
Reebok
Reebok International Limited, a subsidiary of the German sportswear company Adidas since 2005, is a producer of Athletic shoes, apparel, and accessories. The name comes from the Afrikaans spelling of rhebok, a type of African antelope or gazelle...
brand after the merger) and sponsors numerous players past and present like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is a retired American professional basketball player. He is the NBA's all-time leading scorer, with 38,387 points. During his career with the NBA's Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers from 1969 to 1989, Abdul-Jabbar won six NBA championships and a record six regular season...
and Tracy McGrady
Tracy McGrady
Tracy Lamar McGrady, Jr., is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Detroit Pistons.Entering the league after graduating from high school, McGrady eventually became a seven-time All-Star. He led the league in scoring in 2003 and 2004. He has also played for the Toronto...
, as well as Dwight Howard
Dwight Howard
Dwight David Howard is an American basketball player for the Orlando Magic of the National Basketball Association . Howard, who usually plays center but can also play power forward, had an outstanding high school career at Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy...
, Chauncey Billups
Chauncey Billups
Chauncey Ray Billups is an American professional basketball point guard for the New York Knicks of the National Basketball Association . He has also played for Team USA. Billups won the NBA Finals MVP in 2004, helping the Detroit Pistons beat the Los Angeles Lakers in the Finals, and was given the...
, Derrick Rose
Derrick Rose
Derrick Martell Rose is an American professional basketball player for the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association ....
, Eric Gordon
Eric Gordon
Eric Ambrose Gordon, Jr. , nicknamed "EJ", is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Clippers of the NBA. In high school, he was named "Mr. Basketball" of Indiana during his senior year while playing at North Central High School...
, Michael Beasley
Michael Beasley
Michael Paul Beasley, Jr. is an American professional basketball player for the Minnesota Timberwolves of the National Basketball Association . He plays both forward positions, and shoots his jump shot left-handed, though he is also ambidextrous...
, Josh Smith
Josh Smith
Josh Smith is an American professional basketball player with the Atlanta Hawks of the NBA. Josh is one of five kids born to Paulette and Pete Smith. His siblings are Walter, Phebe, Kasola and Shanti. His popular nickname is "J-Smoove".Smith attended John McEachern High School. For his senior...
and Tim Duncan
Tim Duncan
Timothy Theodore "Tim" Duncan is an American professional basketball player for the San Antonio Spurs of the National Basketball Association . The 6-foot 11-inch , 255-pound power forward/center is a four-time NBA champion, two-time NBA MVP, three-time NBA Finals MVP, and NBA Rookie of the Year...
. Adidas used to endorse Kobe Bryant
Kobe Bryant
Kobe Bean Bryant is an American professional basketball player who plays shooting guard for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . Bryant enjoyed a successful high school basketball career at Lower Merion High School, where he was recognized as the top high school...
with the Adidas Equipment KB8 as his first signature shoe but stopped endorsing him in July 2002. The company also endorsed Kevin Garnett
Kevin Garnett
Kevin Maurice Garnett is an American professional basketball player who currently plays power forward for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association . After a high school basketball career at Farragut Career Academy which included winning a national player of the year award, he...
until he opted out of his contract in 2010; he is currently endorsing Anta
Anta Sports
Anta Sports Products Limited is a branded sportswear company in China. It involves the business of designing, developing, manufacture and marketing sportswear, including sports footwear, apparel and accessory under its own brand name, ANTA...
. Lebron James
LeBron James
LeBron Raymone James is an American professional basketball player for the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association . Nicknamed "King James", he was a three-time "Mr. Basketball" of Ohio in high school, and was highly promoted in the national media as a future NBA superstar while a...
also wore Adidas at high school. Now he endorses Nike
Nike, Inc.
Nike, Inc. is a major publicly traded sportswear and equipment supplier based in the United States. The company is headquartered near Beaverton, Oregon, which is part of the Portland metropolitan area...
to date. Gilbert Arenas
Gilbert Arenas
Gilbert Jay Arenas, Jr. is an American professional basketball player for the Orlando Magic of the National Basketball Association . He plays as a point guard and shooting guard....
was an Adidas endorser until the now-infamous gun incident last season; he is currently un-endorsed.
Lacrosse
In 2007, Adidas announced the future production of lacrosseLacrosse
Lacrosse is a team sport of Native American origin played using a small rubber ball and a long-handled stick called a crosse or lacrosse stick, mainly played in the United States and Canada. It is a contact sport which requires padding. The head of the lacrosse stick is strung with loose mesh...
equipment, and will sponsor the Adidas National Lacrosse Classic in July 2008 for the top 600 high school underclassmen lacrosse players in the United States.
Rugby
All Blacks
The New Zealand men's national rugby union team, known as the All Blacks, represent New Zealand in what is regarded as its national sport....
, Irish Munster Rugby
Munster Rugby
Munster Rugby is an Irish professional rugby union team based in Munster, that competes in the RaboDirect Pro12 and Heineken Cup.The team represents the Irish Rugby Football Union Munster Branch which is one of four primary branches of the IRFU, and is responsible for rugby union in the Irish...
, the Argentinian Pumas
Argentina national rugby union team
The Argentina national rugby team, nicknamed Los Pumas, represents Argentina in international rugby union matches. The team, which plays in sky blue and white jerseys, is organised by the Argentine Rugby Union .Argentina played its first international rugby match in 1910 against a touring British...
, and the South African Stormers
Stormers
The Stormers, for sponsorship reasons referred to as DHL Stormers, are a South African rugby union team based in Cape Town competing in the Super Rugby competition . Despite their lack of silverware over the years, their home stadium, Newlands, typically draws the highest average attendance figures...
and Western Province
Western Province (rugby team)
DHL Western Province is a South African rugby union team that participates in the annual Currie Cup tournament. The team has won the Currie Cup on 32 occasions and has the most supporters of any Currie Cup team...
rugby union teams among others. Adidas are also the official match ball supplier to the Heineken Cup
Heineken Cup
The Heineken Cup is one of two annual rugby union competitions organised by European Rugby Cup involving leading club, regional and provincial teams from the six International Rugby Board countries in Europe whose national teams compete in the Six Nations Championship: England, France, Ireland,...
.
Gymnastics
Since 2000, Adidas has provided men's and women's gymnastics wear for Team USA, through USA GymnasticsUSA Gymnastics
United States of America Gymnastics or USAG is the national governing body for gymnastics in the United States. The mission of USA Gymnastics is to encourage participation and the pursuit of excellence in all aspects of gymnastics....
. In 2006, Adidas gymnastics leotards for women and Adidas men's comp shirts, gymnastics pants and gymnastics shorts have been available in the USA, with seasonal leotards offered for Spring, Summer, Fall and Holidays. Starting in 2009, Adidas gymnastics wear has been available worldwide through GK Elite Sportswear
GK Elite Sportswear
GK Elite Sportswear is an American manufacturer of uniforms for gymnastics, dance, and cheerleading - including leotards, warm ups and apparel. GK Elite is also the exclusive supplier of adidas gymnastics wear worldwide....
.
Skateboarding
Adidas SB (Skateboarding) are shoes made specifically for skateboarding. Many of the shoes Adidas previously made were redesigned for skateboarding.Adidas Skateboarding also has a skateboarding team. The team consists of: Mark Gonzales
Mark Gonzales
Mark Gonzales , also known as "Gonz" and "The Gonz," is an American professional skateboarder and artist. He is known in the skateboarding world as a pioneer of modern street skateboarding, currently skateboarding's most popular form....
, Dennis Busenitz, Tim O'Connor, Silas Baxter-Neal, Pete Eldridge, Benny Fairfax, Lucas Puig, Nester Judkins, Lem Villemin
Lem Villemin
Lem Villemin is a Thai skateboarder from Germany.Lem Villemin was born on the 10th of November in 1989, in Thailand where he lived near Bangkok until the age of 8 years with his brother Den Villemin. He the moved with Den to Bietigheim Bissingen, Germany, to live with his aunt Jinda Villemin and...
,Vince Del Valle and Jake Brown.
Baseball
Adidas has also provided baseball equipments and sponsors numerous players of Major League BaseballMajor League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
and Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan.
From 1997 to 2008, Adidas sponsored New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
.
In Japan, Adidas is the official apparel sponsor for the teams Yomiuri Giants
Yomiuri Giants
The are a professional baseball team based in Bunkyo, Tokyo, Japan. The team competes in the Central League in Nippon Professional Baseball, the top level of professional play in Japan. They play their home games in the Tokyo Dome, opened in 1988. The English-language press occasionally calls the...
and Waseda University
Waseda University
, abbreviated as , is one of the most prestigious private universities in Japan and Asia. Its main campuses are located in the northern part of Shinjuku, Tokyo. Founded in 1882 as Tokyo Senmon Gakko, the institution was renamed "Waseda University" in 1902. It is known for its liberal climate...
.
Accessories
Adidas also designs and makes sandalsAdidas Sandals
Adidas currently manufactures several lines of sandals, including Adilette, Santiossage, Adissage, Lulouma, Commoda , Mungo, Woodilette, Harvella Thong and Raggmo Thong ....
, watches, eyewear
Glasses
Glasses, also known as eyeglasses , spectacles or simply specs , are frames bearing lenses worn in front of the eyes. They are normally used for vision correction or eye protection. Safety glasses are a kind of eye protection against flying debris or against visible and near visible light or...
, bags, baseball cap
Baseball cap
A baseball cap is a type of soft cap with a rounded stiff brim. The front of the cap typically contains designs or logos of sports teams ,...
s, and sock
Sock
A sock is an item of clothing worn on the feet. The foot is among the heaviest producers of sweat in the body, as it is able to produce over of perspiration per day. Socks help to absorb this sweat and draw it to areas where air can evaporate the perspiration. In cold environments, socks decrease...
s.
As well, Adidas has a branded range of male and female deodorant
Deodorant
Deodorants are substances applied to the body to affect body odor caused by bacterial growth and the smell associated with bacterial breakdown of perspiration in armpits, feet and other areas of the body. A subgroup of deodorants, antiperspirants, affect odor as well as prevent sweating by...
s, perfume
Perfume
Perfume is a mixture of fragrant essential oils and/or aroma compounds, fixatives, and solvents used to give the human body, animals, objects, and living spaces "a pleasant scent"...
s, aftershave
Aftershave
Aftershave describes a lotion, gel, balm, powder, or liquid used mainly by men after they have finished shaving. It may contain an antiseptic agent such as denatured alcohol or stearate citrate to prevent infection of cuts...
and lotion
Lotion
A lotion is a low- to medium-viscosity, topical preparation intended for application to unbroken skin. By contrast, creams and gels have higher viscosity.Lotions are usually applied to external skin with bare hands, a clean cloth, cotton wool or gauze...
s.
Marketing
Adidas, like other sports brands, is believed to engender high consumer brand loyalty. Brand loyalty towards Adidas, Nike, Inc.Nike, Inc.
Nike, Inc. is a major publicly traded sportswear and equipment supplier based in the United States. The company is headquartered near Beaverton, Oregon, which is part of the Portland metropolitan area...
, Puma AG
PUMA AG
Puma SE, officially branded as PUMA, is a major German multinational company that produces high-end athletic shoes, lifestyle footwear and other sportswear. Formed in 1924 as Gebrüder Dassler Schuhfabrik by Adolf and Rudolf Dassler, relationships between the two brothers deteriorated until the two...
and several other sportswear brands was examined in a recent study. The study found consumers did not exhibit unduly high loyalty towards such brands.
During the mid to late 1990s, Adidas divided the brand into three main groups with each a separate focus: Adidas Performance was designed to maintain their devotion to the athlete; Adidas Originals
Adidas Originals
Adidas Originals is a line of casual sports apparel, and is the heritage line of Adidas The brand uses the famous Trefoil logo, which was originally used on all adidas products until the company decided in 1997 that the trefoil logo would thereafter only be used on heritage products, and was...
was designed to focus on fashion and life-style; and Style Essentials, with the main group within this one being Y-3.
"Impossible is Nothing" is the current mainstream marketing slogan
Slogan
A slogan is a memorable motto or phrase used in a political, commercial, religious and other context as a repetitive expression of an idea or purpose. The word slogan is derived from slogorn which was an Anglicisation of the Scottish Gaelic sluagh-ghairm . Slogans vary from the written and the...
for Adidas. This campaign was developed by 180/TBWA based in Amsterdam but also with significant work being done by TBWA/Chiat/Day in San Francisco – particularly for its basketball campaign "Believe In Five".TBWA\Chiat\Day commissioned Zane Peach to produce images for 2007 international ad campaign.
Game advertisement
The brand is featured in several games. Amiga|Commodore Amiga: Daley Thompson's Olympic Challenge Sony Playstation: Adidas power soccer Commodore 64, ZX spectrum, Amstrad CPC: Adidas Championship FootballAdidas Championship Football
"Adidas Championship Football" is a soccer video game developed by Ocean Software in 1990. It was released for the Commodore 64, Amstrad CPC and ZX Spectrum.- External links :* at Gamespot...
Sponsorship
Adidas is a major domestic (within Germany) and international sports and events sponsor. During the last number of years, the Group has increased its marketing and sponsorship budgetBudget
A budget is a financial plan and a list of all planned expenses and revenues. It is a plan for saving, borrowing and spending. A budget is an important concept in microeconomics, which uses a budget line to illustrate the trade-offs between two or more goods...
. Adidas is a key sponsor and supplier to the National Basketball Association
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
(NBA). The company recently unveiled a new NBA game jersey to be worn by all NBA players in games beginning in the 2010–2011 season.
Adidas are the main sponsor and kit supplier of the highly successful New Zealand national rugby
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
team, the All Blacks
All Blacks
The New Zealand men's national rugby union team, known as the All Blacks, represent New Zealand in what is regarded as its national sport....
. Adidas also are the kit supplier to the Los Pumas
Argentina national rugby union team
The Argentina national rugby team, nicknamed Los Pumas, represents Argentina in international rugby union matches. The team, which plays in sky blue and white jerseys, is organised by the Argentine Rugby Union .Argentina played its first international rugby match in 1910 against a touring British...
, the Eagles
United States national rugby union team
USA Rugby's men's national rugby union team, nicknamed the Eagles, represents the United States in the sport of rugby union. The Eagles are currently ranked 17th by the IRB World Rankings. Their highest ranking was from November 2, 2006 – September 10, 2007 at the 14th position...
, the Irish professional rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
team, Munster Rugby
Munster Rugby
Munster Rugby is an Irish professional rugby union team based in Munster, that competes in the RaboDirect Pro12 and Heineken Cup.The team represents the Irish Rugby Football Union Munster Branch which is one of four primary branches of the IRFU, and is responsible for rugby union in the Irish...
and the French professional rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
club, Stade Français.
Adidas also sponsors and produces apparel for the rugby league
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
club Gold Coast Titans
Gold Coast Titans
Gold Coast Titans are an Australian professional rugby league football club, based in the Gold Coast, Queensland. The club competes in Australasia's elite rugby league competition, the National Rugby League premiership. It is the newest of the sixteen clubs in the league, having commenced its...
in the Australian National Rugby League
National Rugby League
The National Rugby League is the top league of professional rugby league football clubs in Australasia. The NRL's main competition, called the Telstra Premiership , is contested by sixteen teams, fifteen of which are based in Australia with one based in New Zealand...
(NRL) competition.
In cricket, the company are the main and kit sponsors sponsors of the successful Australian Cricket Team and the England Cricket Team. They are also the main sponsors of the Indian cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
ers Sachin Tendulkar
Sachin Tendulkar
Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar is an Indian cricketer widely regarded as one of the greatest batsmen in the history of cricket. He is the leading run-scorer and century maker in Test and one-day international cricket. He is the only male player to score a double century in the history of ODI cricket...
and Virender Sehwag
Virender Sehwag
Virender Sehwag , affectionately known as Viru, the Nawab of Najafgarh, or the Zen master of modern cricket, is one of the leading batsmen in the Indian cricket team. Sehwag is an aggressive right-handed opening batsman and a part-time right-arm off-spin bowler...
and English cricketers Kevin Pietersen
Kevin Pietersen
Kevin Peter Pietersen, MBE is a South African-born English cricketer. He is a right-handed batsman and occasional off spin bowler who plays for England and Surrey...
and Ian Bell. They are sponsors of the Indian Premier League
Indian Premier League
The Indian Premier League is a professional league for Twenty20 cricket competition in India. It was initiated by the Board of Control for Cricket in India , headquartered in Mumbai, and is supervised by BCCI Vice President Rajeev Shukla, who serves as the league's Chairman and Commissioner...
teams Delhi Daredevils
Delhi Daredevils
Delhi Daredevils is the Delhi franchise for the Indian Premier League in cricket. The franchise is owned by the GMR Group.-Franchise history:...
and Mumbai Indians
Mumbai Indians
Mumbai Indians , is a franchise cricket team representing Mumbai in the Indian Premier League. The team is one of the eight founding members of the IPL in 2008. Mumbai Indians are currently led by Sachin Tendulkar, who is the Icon Player for the team and is coached by Robin Singh...
.
Adidas is the longstanding kit
Kit (football)
In association football, as in a number of sports, kit refers to the standard equipment and attire worn by players. The term "kit" should be distinguished from a "strip" , which refers to just the shirt, shorts and socks, although the terms are sometimes used interchangeably...
provider to the Germany national football team
Germany national football team
The Germany national football team is the football team that has represented Germany in international competition since 1908. It is governed by the German Football Association , which was founded in 1900....
, a sponsorship that began in 1954 and is contracted to continue until at least 2018. Adidas also sponsors the Argentine, Japanese, Mexican, Scottish, Spanish and Colombian national football teams, among others.
Adidas are very active at sponsoring top football clubs such as R.S.C. Anderlecht
R.S.C. Anderlecht
Royal Sporting Club Anderlecht, usually known as Anderlecht or RSCA , is a Belgian professional football club based in Anderlecht in the Brussels Capital Region. Anderlecht plays in the Belgian Pro League and is the most successful Belgian football team in European competitions as well as in the...
, Wisła Kraków, Rapid Vienna, Real Madrid
Real Madrid C.F.
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la...
, Aberdeen F.C.
Aberdeen F.C.
Aberdeen Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Aberdeen...
, AC Milan
A.C. Milan
Associazione Calcio Milan, commonly referred to as A.C. Milan or simply Milan , is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Lombardy, that plays in the Serie A. Milan was founded in 1899 by English lace-maker Herbert Kilpin and businessman Alfred Edwards among others...
, Dynamo Kyiv, Metalist
FC Metalist Kharkiv
FC Metalist Kharkiv is a Ukrainian professional football club based in Kharkiv. It competes in the Ukrainian Premier League, the highest football level in the country. Founded in 1925, the team worked its way up the rungs of the Soviet football system, eventually being promoted to the Soviet Top...
, Partizan Belgrade
Partizan Belgrade
Jugoslovensko Sportsko Društvo Partizan, commonly abbreviated as JSD Partizan is a sports association from Belgrade, Serbia. Founded on 4th October 1945, it's an umbrella organization featuring 26 clubs in 26 sports.-Sports/Clubs:-History:...
, Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
,, Palmeiras, Fluminense, Bayern Munich
FC Bayern Munich
FC Bayern Munich , is a German sports club based in Munich, Bavaria. It is best known for its professional football team, which is the most successful football club in Germany, having won 22 national titles and 15 cups....
, Rosenborg BK, West Bromwich Albion
West Bromwich Albion F.C.
West Bromwich Albion Football Club, also known as West Brom, The Baggies, The Throstles, Albion or WBA, are an English Premier League association football club based in West Bromwich in the West Midlands...
, Stoke City F.C.
Stoke City F.C.
Stoke City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire that plays in the Premier League. Founded in 1863, it is the oldest club in the Premier League, and considered to be the second oldest professional football club in the world, after Notts...
, Lyon
Olympique Lyonnais
Olympique Lyonnais is a French association football club based in Lyon. They play in France's highest football division, Ligue 1. The club was formed as Lyon Olympique Universitaire in 1899, according to many supporters and sport historians, but was nationally established as a club in 1950. The...
, Marseille
Olympique de Marseille
Olympique de Marseille is a French association football club based in Marseille. Founded in 1899, the club plays in Ligue 1 and have spent most of its history in the top tier of French football. Marseille have been French champions nine times and have won the Coupe de France a record ten times. In...
, AFC Ajax, Schalke 04
FC Schalke 04
Fußball-Club Gelsenkirchen-Schalke 04, commonly known as simply FC Schalke 04 or Schalke , is a German, association-football club originally from the Schalke district of Gelsenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia. Schalke has long been one of the most popular football teams in Germany, even though major...
, Galatasaray
Galatasaray S.K. (football team)
Galatasaray Anonim Şirketi is a Turkish football club, part of the Galatasaray S.K. multi-sport club of Istanbul. Galatasaray is a major sports club in Turkey, holding 17 Turkish Super League titles and the highest number of Turkish Cups....
, Benfica, River Plate
Club Atlético River Plate
Club Atlético River Plate is an Argentine sports club based in the Nuñez neighborhood of Buenos Aires. It is best known for its professional football team, which currently competes in Nacional B, the second tier of Argentine football....
, Los Angeles Galaxy
Los Angeles Galaxy
The Los Angeles Galaxy are an American professional soccer team, based in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson, California, which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, and the league's second...
, New York Red Bulls, Beşiktaş
Besiktas J.K.
Beşiktaş Jimnastik Kulübü , or simply Beşiktaş , is a Turkish sports club. The club's football team is one of the major teams in Turkey. The professional sports club, founded in 1903, is based in the Beşiktaş district in Istanbul, Turkey...
, Fenerbahçe, UANL Tigres
UANL Tigres
Tigres de la Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, often known only as Tigres or UANL, a Mexican football club that plays in the Primera División. It is one of the two professional football teams of the state of Nuevo León. The team plays home games at the Estadio Universitario, located in San...
, Panathinaikos
Panathinaikos FC
Panathinaikos Football Club is a Greek professional football club based in Athens. Founded in 1908, they play in the Super League Greece and are one of the oldest and most successful clubs in Greek football history. They have won 20 Greek Championships and 17 Greek Cups.Panathinaikos is the most...
, South Melbourne FC
South Melbourne FC
South Melbourne FC is a football club based in South Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.Considered the most successful association football club in Australia, they have won four national championships, a string of Victorian State League titles, and represented Oceania in the 2000 FIFA Club World...
, IFK Göteborg
IFK Göteborg
IFK Göteborg is a Swedish professional football club based in Gothenburg. Founded in 1904, the club has won 18 national championship titles, five national cup titles, and two UEFA Cups....
, Zamalek SC, Al-Ahly
Al-Ahly
Al-Ahly Sports Club , commonly known as simply Al-Ahly, is an Egyptian sporting club. Founded in April 1907, Al-Ahly was named in 2000 by the Confederation of African Football as the "African Club of the Century"...
, Al-Hilal
Al-Hilal
Al-Hilal Saudi Football Club , also known simply as Al-Hilal, is a Saudi Arabian sports club based in the country's capital of Riyadh and best known for its professional football team, known as Al-Hilal Saudi Football Club...
, Ahli Jeddah, Caracas, Universidad de Chile, Los Millonarios, Beitar Jerusalem F.C., Albirex Niigata
Albirex Niigata
is a Japanese J. League Division 1 association football team. Despite the club's relative youth, only joining the J. League in 1999, Albirex are one of Japan's best supported teams. In 2003, while still playing in the second tier of Japanese football , Albirex attracted the best average crowd in...
, Atlético Nacional
Atlético Nacional
Corporación Deportiva Atlético Nacional is a Colombian football team based in Medellín. They play their home games at the Estadio Atanasio Girardot stadium which also serves as home to Deportivo Independiente Medellín...
and C.D. Guadalajara.
Adidas is the apparel partner of the Collingwood Football Club
Collingwood Football Club
The Collingwood Football Club, nicknamed The Magpies, is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League...
and the Essendon Football Club
Essendon Football Club
The Essendon Football Club, nicknamed The Bombers, is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League...
in the Australian Football League
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
.
Adidas and Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
(MLS) announced a 8-year sponsorship agreement in August 2010 that will continue to make Adidas the official athletic sponsor and licensed product supplier for the league, and to work together to expand the developmental league for MLS through 2018.
Adidas also sponsors events such as the London Marathon
London Marathon
The London Marathon is one of the biggest running events in the world, and one of the five top world marathons that make up the World Marathon Majors competition, which has a $1 million prize purse. It has been held each spring in London since 1981. The race is currently sponsored by Virgin Money,...
and Adidas Sundown Marathon
Adidas Sundown Marathon
The Sundown Marathon, previously known as Adidas Sundown Marathon, would be considered a Sports Tourism Event. The official sponsor for the event have change to New Balance....
in Singapore.
In the 1980s, Adidas sponsored rap group Run-D.M.C.
Run-D.M.C.
Run–D.M.C. was an American hip hop group from Hollis, in the Queens borough of New York City. Founded by Joseph "Run" Simmons, Darryl "D.M.C." McDaniels, and Jason "Jam-Master Jay" Mizell, the group is widely acknowledged as one of the most influential acts in the history of hip hop culture.Run–D.M.C...
, a breakthrough idea.
For the 2008 Summer Olympics
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
in Beijing, China, Adidas spent €70 million sponsoring the event, amid criticisms.
Adidas has also been marketing in NASCAR
NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...
, sponsoring big name drivers such as Dale Earnhardt, Jr.
Dale Earnhardt, Jr.
* NOTE: References to "Earnhardt", "he", and "him" refer to the subject of this article, unless otherwise specified. References to his father will include "Sr."...
and Tony Stewart
Tony Stewart
Anthony Wayne "Tony" Stewart is an American auto racing driver and owner. Throughout his racing career, Stewart has won titles in Indy cars and stock cars as well as midget, sprint and USAC Silver Crown cars, giving him the recognition of "one of the finest racers of his generation."Stewart...
.
Current executive board
- CEO Adidas-group: Herbert HainerHerbert Hainer-Career:1979-1987: Procter & Gamble GmbH, Division Manager Sales and Marketing Germany1987-1989: adidas Germany, Sales Director Hardware1989-1991: adidas Germany, Sales Director Field1991-1993: adidas Germany, National Sales Director...
- Finance Adidas-group: Robin J. Stalker
- CEO Adidas brand: Erich Stamminger
- Global Operations Adidas-group: Glenn S. Bennett
Financial information
| Year | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sales Revenue In business, revenue is income that a company receives from its normal business activities, usually from the sale of goods and services to customers. In many countries, such as the United Kingdom, revenue is referred to as turnover.... |
10,084 | 10,299 | 10,799 | 10,381 | 11,990 |
| EBITDA EBITDA EBITDA is an acronym for earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization. It is a non-GAAP metric that is measured exactly as stated. All interest, tax, depreciation and amortization entries in the income statement are reversed out from the bottom-line net income... |
1,078 | 1,165 | 1,280 | 780 | 1,159 |
| Net results Net income Net income is the residual income of a firm after adding total revenue and gains and subtracting all expenses and losses for the reporting period. Net income can be distributed among holders of common stock as a dividend or held by the firm as an addition to retained earnings... |
483 | 551 | 642 | 245 | 567 |
| Net debt Debt A debt is an obligation owed by one party to a second party, the creditor; usually this refers to assets granted by the creditor to the debtor, but the term can also be used metaphorically to cover moral obligations and other interactions not based on economic value.A debt is created when a... |
2,231 | 1,766 | 2,189 | 917 | 221 |
Criticism
As with the majority of prolific brand-based transnationals, Adidas's business practises/ethicsEthics
Ethics, also known as moral philosophy, is a branch of philosophy that addresses questions about morality—that is, concepts such as good and evil, right and wrong, virtue and vice, justice and crime, etc.Major branches of ethics include:...
and commitment to worker welfare have been scrutinised and often criticised.
2011 All Blacks replica rugby jersey pricing controversy
Unhappy with the local price of the Adidas replica All Blacks jersey, New Zealand-based All BlacksAll Blacks
The New Zealand men's national rugby union team, known as the All Blacks, represent New Zealand in what is regarded as its national sport....
fans have asked for price cuts and begun purchasing the jersey from overseas vendors after it was revealed that the local price of $NZ220 was more than twice the price offered on some websites.
Adidas has responded by enforcing cross-border agreements to stop overseas retailers from selling to New Zealand residents. It has been labelled a public relations disaster by leading New Zealand PR firms and Consumer advocate groups. The largest New Zealand sportswear retailer Rebel Sport has stated it is angry and is considering selling the All Blacks Jerseys to the general public below cost. As of August 9, 2011, Rebel Sport has decided not to stock the Adidas Rugby Union Jumper.
Sweatshops and Labor Rights Violations
Adidas has been criticized for operating sweatshops, particularly in Indonesia. Between 2006 and 2007, Adidas rejected many of its suppliers that supported unions for subcontractors with less reputable labor rights records. By subcontracting work to different suppliers, it is more difficult for Adidas to ensure company labor standards are enforced. Workplace standards that Adidas' policy upholds include the freedom for workers to take part in collective bargainingCollective bargaining
Collective bargaining is a process of negotiations between employers and the representatives of a unit of employees aimed at reaching agreements that regulate working conditions...
and a non-retaliation policy towards workers who express concerns. In practice, however, many of Adidas' suppliers have not upheld these standards. At the Panarub factory in Java
Java
Java is an island of Indonesia. With a population of 135 million , it is the world's most populous island, and one of the most densely populated regions in the world. It is home to 60% of Indonesia's population. The Indonesian capital city, Jakarta, is in west Java...
, 33 workers were fired after striking for better pay in 2005. PT Kizone is another Indonesian factory where Adidas has received criticism over treatment of workers. They produced products for Adidas as well as Nike
Nike
Nike may refer to:* Nike , Greek goddess who personifies victory**The Nike of Samothrace, an ancient statue of the goddess Nike* Nike, Inc., major U.S. manufacturer of athletic shoes, apparel, and sports equipment...
and the Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
until they closed recently. 2800 workers were laid off and are owed $3 million in severance pay. Nike has contributed $1.5 million but Adidas has not acted. A campaign has been initiated by United Students Against Sweatshops
United Students Against Sweatshops
United Students Against Sweatshops is a student organization with chapters at over 250 colleges and universities in the United States and Canada. In April 2000, USAS founded the Worker Rights Consortium , an independent monitoring organization that investigates labor conditions in factories that...
calling for universities to cut contracts with Adidas.