For me, brands don’t come much more iconic or recognisable than Adidas. ‘Die marke mit den drei streifen’, the brand with the three stripes is iconic in name and visual features. The three stripe motif that has been consistent from the beginning is a nod to the running track, and the lanes athletes compete in. It has evolved from a pure sports brand, to be an all encompassing sports lifestyle brand. This hasn’t however, altered the brand’s image much at all. In fact the overall image has changed very little in the brand’s existence. The predominant focus of the brand is still very much on sportswear and providing cutting edge technologies for athletes at the top, top level.
In the early decades, the brand’s focus was very much on developing perfect tools for athletes and footballers – the 1950s-1970s were all about trying to be the best in the field for sports wear – predominantly footwear.
However in the 1980s and 1990s we see a shift in the brand’s focus. Sportswear still remains a constant, but the introduction of a fashion element starts. Initially with music and Run-DMC, the brand’s image becomes much more than a pure sports brand. It becomes a lifestyle brand. The 90s continue this trend as we see EQT collections in fashion (based on sportswear) but also the development and introduction of the first Predator football boot which really revolutionised football.
Off the back of this success, the 2000s bring a much higher profile to the brand. Global megastars like David Beckham become brand ambassadors and the brand’s global appeal and reach becomes stratospheric. This paves the way for high end fashion collaborations which take the brand all the way to the present, with people like Stella McCartney and Kanye West bringing the brand to an all encompassing sporting/lifestyle megahouse.
Visually however, the brand’s identity has largely been consistent throughout. The three stripe motif being ever present and the blue colour scheme remaining in place since the 1960s. Advertising campaigns have differed slightly, but only pushed by the change in the world, as opposed to any brand identity shift. I think this relative strictness in terms of keeping the brand consistent has served Adidas extremely well, and it is instantaneously recognisable worldwide. I think there is definitely something to be said, for minimal changes, in comparison to complete brand overhauls which some brands undertake. But again that is largely due to having a very strong starting point for the brand, and one that survives the ages.
Jon Lawrence Learning Log 