80 years ago the Dassler brothers had a fight. The rivalry between two of the world’s most recognizable brands went far beyond mere corporate competition. One started Puma, the other one Adidas. For #brothersday we brought them back together and created the ‘Pumadidas’.
The story? It was a vicious family feud that not only pitted two brothers against one another, but also divided the inhabitants of their hometown into warring factions — and lasted 60 years.
In the 1920s, the brothers were partners in the Dassler Brothers Sports Shoe Company, operating out of their mother’s laundry room in the small German town of Herzogenaurach. Adolf (“Adi”) Dassler was the quiet, thoughtful craftsman who designed and made the shoes, complemented by the older Rudolph (“Rudi”) who was the extroverted salesman. Although the brothers joined the Nazi party when Hitler seized power in 1933, it didn’t stop them getting legendary African-American track star Jesse Owens to wear their shoes as he competed and won four gold medals in the 1936 Olympics. Owens’ victory gave the shoes international exposure, and sales of the Dasslers’ product exploded.
But the success created new tensions in the brothers’ relationship. In the following decades they kept on fighting each other. Till the bitter end.
It wasn’t until 2009 when employees of both companies symbolized the end of six decades of feuding by playing a friendly soccer match. By then, the Dassler brothers had both died, within four years of each other. Even in death, the animosity continued as the brothers were buried at opposite ends of the same cemetery, as far away from each other as possible.
We think they held their grudge long enough. Now is the time to work and grow together. Especially on brothersday.
Special thanks to designer Aisha Kuijk for making this idea come to life.
More info: Facebook
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