Exploring the Origins and Significance Behind the Adidas Logo and Brand Identity

Exploring the Origins and Significance Behind the Adidas Logo and Brand Identity
10 min read

The Adidas Logo and Brand Identity

Are you acquainted with the history of the Adidas logo? While many recognize the iconic symbol, few know its origins.

The Adidas logo has undergone significant evolution since its inception in 1924. Alongside Nike and Champion, Adidas ranks among the top-selling clothing brands globally.

Exploring the Origins and Significance Behind the Adidas Logo and Brand Identity

With a staggering revenue of 21.82 billion EUR in 2018, Adidas stands out in the market. How did the Adidas brand achieve such prominence? Explore its journey with us. Discover more about corporate logo design services and Logo design services USA.

As Adidas continues to grow and compete with Nike for industry dominance, exploring the company’s origins, evolution, and branding becomes increasingly important. Discover more about the best logo design services with a leading logo design company in the USA, specializing in custom logo services.

Adidas, a popular sportswear brand, is known for its iconic logo, which is prominently featured in its range of sportswear and apparel. Explore the best logo redesigns to understand why Adidas stands out in the industry.

The evolution of the Adidas logo

Exploring the Origins and Significance Behind the Adidas Logo and Brand Identity

The Adidas logo has a rich and interesting history. Let’s travel back in time to a small town in Germany and unpack the evolution of the Adidas logo.

1924–1949: A symbol of family

Exploring the Origins and Significance Behind the Adidas Logo and Brand Identity

Adidas, originally known as the Dassler Brothers Shoe Factory, was founded by two cobbler brothers, Adolf and Rudolf Dassler.

The company’s logo, inspired by the Dassler family crest, featured a bird in flight with a single shoe, symbolizing perseverance in the face of challenges.

1949–1950: Sibling rivalry

Exploring the Origins and Significance Behind the Adidas Logo and Brand Identity

Tensions between the Dassler brothers led to a split and a rebrand of the shoe company, with theories ranging from disagreements between brothers’ wives to war-related issues. Adi took over the company by 1950.

Fun fact: Rudi’s exit led to his own refocusing and the founding of the world-renowned company Puma.

Adi needed a logo update to differentiate his new Adidas brand from Dassler. The short-lived Adidas logo featured Adolf Dassler’s full name, the new Adidas brand name, and sports shoes with track and field spikes on the side.

1950–1971: Adidas shoes land on two feet

Exploring the Origins and Significance Behind the Adidas Logo and Brand Identity

Adidas’ name and logo evolved, featuring a white lowercase ‘adidas’ text in a bold black rectangle. The monochromatic color scheme remained unchanged, with short-term campaigns incorporating rainbow colors.

The company expanded into sportswear and apparel, featuring multiple iterations of the Adidas 3-stripe logo over time.

1967 — Today: Plain and simple

Exploring the Origins and Significance Behind the Adidas Logo and Brand Identity

In 1967, Adidas redesigned their logo, inverting colors, removing framing, and using ITC Avant Garde Gothic sans serif. This simplified, effective logo is now featured on all brand materials.

1971 — Today

Exploring the Origins and Significance Behind the Adidas Logo and Brand Identity

In the 1970s, Adidas expanded its product offerings and introduced a new logo, the trefoil logo. This symbol, representing a 3-leaved plant with 3-stripes, was used on clothing and shoes since 1972.

The logo remained in circulation until 2001, and is often worn by celebrities today, symbolizing Adidas’ vast product line.

1991 — Today: Climb every mountain

Exploring the Origins and Significance Behind the Adidas Logo and Brand Identity

Peter Moore, after a successful tenure at Nike, became Creative Director at Adidas, introducing the iconic EQT (Equipment) logo, also known as the “mountain logo.”

Exploring the Origins and Significance Behind the Adidas Logo and Brand Identity

Adidas’ three-stripe watermark, now merged with the Adidas wordmark, symbolizes power, performance, and perseverance.

The “Three-Bars” is part of the “Badge of Sport” and worn by numerous athletes on clothing and footwear, symbolizing their commitment to outperforming competition.

The symbol’s design was inspired by an inverted, abstract visual concept of the iconic three stripes, viewed from the inside of an Adidas shoe.

2002 — Today:

Exploring the Origins and Significance Behind the Adidas Logo and Brand Identity

Adidas’s circle logo, featuring classic three bars, has evolved with an organic shape, focusing on lifestyle and streetwear collaborations.

The wordmark remains at the bottom of the round, striped symbol, reinforcing the brand’s sportswear roots despite its daily wear intentions.

2005 — Today: Clean cut lines

Exploring the Origins and Significance Behind the Adidas Logo and Brand Identity

Adidas has introduced a new logo featuring horizontal lines and three stripes, repurposing the signature mountain logo.

This minimal design deviates from the mountain symbol, resembling speed or track marks, yet maintaining its athletic relevance.

The iconic logo lives on

Exploring the Origins and Significance Behind the Adidas Logo and Brand Identity

Adidas’ iconic 3 bar logo has evolved through various iterations, showcasing its scalable design and unbeatable quality. This feature has made Adidas a timeless symbol for over 70 years, ensuring its recognition and longevity.

Adidas’ 3-Stripes are a stylish and performance-ready piece that can be worn before a workout or paired with Originals outfits for style expression.

5 jaw-dropping fun facts about Adidas you won’t believe

Here are five interesting tidbits about Adidas that any self-respecting sneakerhead should be aware of.‍

1. There was a park known as Adidas Park in Boston

In Dorchester in the 1980s, there was a park where you must wear Adidas. If you didn’t, you would have your sneakers taken and thrown in a tree! You could find a tree in the park full of Nikes, Pumas, and anything other than Adidas. The trend didn’t last long, though.

2. Puma signed an athlete to spite Adidas

Exploring the Origins and Significance Behind the Adidas Logo and Brand Identity

A rivalry between two brothers can pave the way to lifelong competition, and Puma and Adidas are perfect examples of this.

Back in 1984, Tennis star Boris Becker’s contract with Adidas expired. The rivalry between the two brands was so fierce that Puma picked up the star just so that Adidas couldn’t have him.

3. The Stan Smith sneaker was almost named something else

The ‘Stan Smith,’ Adidas’s most iconic sneaker, was originally intended to be named after Robert Haillet, the iconic French tennis star, and not Stanley Smith.

4. Adidas paved the way for fitness technology

Exploring the Origins and Significance Behind the Adidas Logo and Brand Identity

Adidas was the first to introduce a microchip into the design of their sneakers. The Adidas Micropacer featured a computer display that allowed athletes to check their heart rate and the number of calories they burned, among other things.

5. Adidas once sued Payless

Adidas sued Payless ShoeSource in 2008 for releasing a pair of sneakers featuring four stripes instead of 3. They eventually settled for the sum of $305 million.

A brief history of Adidas

The shoe company’s origins can be traced back to just after World War 1. Started by Adolf “Adi ‘’ Dassler and his brother in the 1920s, the Dassler Brothers Shoe Company would eventually give birth to Adidas.

Exploring the Origins and Significance Behind the Adidas Logo and Brand Identity

Adi was born in Herzogenaurach, a small town in Germany known for shoemaking. However, as a teen, he was pushed into a baking apprenticeship by his father and was on course to join the industry. But he was soon drafted into the military to fight in the First World War.

After the war, he started an athletic shoe business, even creating a bike-powered leather milling machine. He provided samples of his shoes to sports clubs in the area as a way of marketing. The athletes could try out the shoes, and often, they loved them.

Adi’s brother Rudi joined the company in 1923, and a year later, they registered their company as the Dassler Brothers Shoe Company.

Exploring the Origins and Significance Behind the Adidas Logo and Brand Identity

They made an amazing team. Adi was the mastermind behind the shoes, constantly adjusting and improving the product, while Rudi was at the front of the company and an incredible salesman.

By 1928, their shoes could be found in the Olympics, and they began filing patents for their shoes. Shortly after came the 1936 Olympic games, one of the biggest moments for the brand.‍

FAQs

What is the real logo of Adidas?

Adidas has many logos in its rotation today, so there isn’t one, singular logo for the company. Their logos are as dynamic as their brand. The most well-known of all Adidas logos would be their Performance logo (once called the EQT, or mountain logo) which unites all elements of the brand.

What’s the difference between Adidas and Adidas originals line?

Adidas Originals is the current subcategory of Adidas devoted specifically to lifestyle and heritage products. With a collaborative nature, it’s often found and worn on a variety of fashion scenes, designers and celebrities.

Which font family does Adidas use?

Each Adidas logo incorporates a legible sans-serif font, namely ITC Avant Garde Gothic. Since the inception of the iconic brand under the Adidas name, lowercase letters have been used exclusively in logo format.

Who owns Adidas now?

Following the death of Horst Dassler in 1987, the son of Adolf (Adi) Dassler, Adidas was sold, went public, and is now owned by the corporation Adidas AG. Two of the primary shareholders — one a football team, the other a fitness company — are located in Germany and Austria, respectively.

Does the Adidas logo today look the same today as it did originally?

The Adidas logos we recognize today are very different indeed from the very first 1949 logo. The original Adidas logo featured many more symbols and design elements when it was first created under the name Dassler. In many ways, it not only looked but in fact was a completely different company.

Conclusion

Through the years, Adidas has established a robust reputation for delivering dependable products. The Adidas logo and brand are now synonymous with top-notch athletic performance, owing to extensive marketing and endorsements from influential figures across various domains.

Despite encountering challenges and setbacks, the company has emerged as a household name, underscoring the power of a symbol to embody an entire enterprise. Discover the impact of professional logo design services and explore the prowess of a custom logo design company or logo design agency in shaping a brand’s identity.

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James D a v i d 2
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