Adidas is not just a sports performance brand. It created another symbol of the three leaved plant (Trefoil) for Adidas Original. The Original is a life style & each category in original has a story to tell with a 40 years heritage. Read on. It is a wonderful case of brand building.

1. adidas Originals: the history
Thetrefoil was first introduced in 1972at the MunichOlympic Gameswhere it could beseen on every
official andon 1,164out of the 1,490competing athletes
Due to its visibility on everymajor athleteat the timeas well as due to its strong presence in tennis (which
at the time was enjoyingneverbefore seen popularity) on athletes such as Stan Smith&Ilie Nastase, by
1976thetrefoil had become one of themost popular and recognizable brand symbols in the world
By thelate 1970sandthe 1980s, the trefoil hadgrown beyond sport and was beginning to beseen on a
numberof celebrities, inparticular musicians
Thetrefoil- symbol of Originals
Trefoil-pronounced tref(to rhymewith deaf)- oil
It is derived from a latin word meaning ‘threeleaved plant’

2. adidas Originals: the history
Bob Marley in his adidas SL-72 trainers
from 1978
Inthe 1980s, RUND.M.C became the world’s first
mainstream rap group
Theywere HUGEadidas fans and popularized wearing
adidas Superstars without laces
In1986they even released a song called ‘MyAdidas’ as a
tributeto their favorite brand

3. Run-DMC made a fashion statement by wearing their Adidas sneakers with no laces. They
were also known for their trench coats and big jewelry, which became popular with
rappers and set the stage for Hip-Hop style. When this became a hit, Run-DMC got
their own line of sneakers with Adidas.
This song proved that rap was not just a form of music, but a lifestyle. In the years to come,
Hip-Hop fashion spread to a wide audience, even invading the suburbs. This was one of
the first songs where the MCs rapped about their clothing choices.
Around the time this was released, clothing companies started designing more Hip-Hop
styles. Russell Simmons, the brother of group-member Run (Joseph Simmons), was the
first to start his own line based on the music.
The song is a positive statement about where the band has traveled. They were trying to
make the point that black men can grow up in a bad area and become successful with
out resorting to a life of crime.
The lyrics mention their performance at Live-Aid the previous year. Run-DMC was the only
rap group to play at the benefit concert, appearing between Sade and Sting. This was a
major step toward rap music's acceptance by a broader audience, as Run-DMC showed
they were concerned about social causes just like the other artists who played.
The company Adidas was named after it's founder, Adi Dassler. Contrary to the rumor, it
does not stand for "All Day I Dream About Sex."
RUN DMC AND ‘’MY ADIDAS’’

4. adidas Originals: the history
In1990,the new‘sports performance’logo was introduced in order to
restore focus to the adidas brand and take it back to its sporting roots
Despite the global re-branding, the trefoil refused to die out and in the mid 90s began to makea
comeback throughthe most unlikelyof sources…
…the rockmusic of nu-metalbands like Korn & Limp Bizkit .
Infact so popular was the brand among suchbands that theirtype of music began to becalled
‘adidas rock’by music critics

5. adidas Originals: the history
Korn were the first popular ‘nu-metal’
band to popularize adidas. Theyeven
named a song A.D.I.D.A.Sintheir 1997
album, Life Is Peachy

6. adidas Originals: the history
Korn weresoon followed by Limp Bizkit who further
popularized the brand. Theirmost popular album,
SignificantOther’s cover even featured a figure wearing
a pair of Superstars, easily identifiable from their 3
stripes & shell toe design

7. adidas Originals: the history
Thepopularity of adidas was not limited only to rock
music however. Inthe late 90’s,funk band Jamiroquai
also began to popularize the brand, with lead singer Jay
Kay especially wearing adidas Gazelles in almost every
video (e.g. CannedHeat)

8. adidas Originals: the history
Theinfluenceof thetrefoil was not just limited to music.
By theend of the 1990’s,it had trulybecome one of the
world’s most popular brands and was celebrated in the
1999cult teen movie, Dude,Where’sMyCar?
One of themost famous parts of this moviewas the
‘ChineseTailor Scene’
Ashton Kutcherwas even picturedwearing a pair of
navy blue adidas Gazelles on the poster for themovie

9. adidas Originals: the history
Due tothe growingpopularity of the trefoil, adidas decided torelaunch all products carryingthe trefoil under
a new brandname in 2001.
This brandwas of course
The originals brandaims at showcasing over 30 years ofsports heritage in astylish andcontemporary way- it
was launched with the tagline ‘Once Innovative, Now Classic, Always Authentic’
What this means is that Originals provides the consumer with footwear &apparel that were once cutting
edge sports performance, but arenow stylish, lifestyle oriented products.
Every Originals product is amodern reinterpretation ofa classic design, which means that every Originals
product has a story attached toit, something that no other brandcan claim.

10. adidas Originals: the heritage
THE SUPERSTAR
Perhaps the most iconic shoe that adidas has ever made, the
Superstar was launched in 1969 as the world’sfirst lowtop
specialist basketball shoe. By the mid 1970s , close to75% of
the NBA were wearing Superstars,including the legendary
Kareem Abdul Jabbarwho till date has scored moreNBA points
that any other player in history (including Michael Jordan)
For the 35th Anniversary of the
Superstar, adidas sold 35
exclusive, one ofa kind
Superstars. The 35th such pairis
currently the most expensive
sneaker in the worldandis worth
over $10,000
Limited edition Superstars
Basic Superstars

11. adidas Originals: the heritage
THE SAMBA
One ofthe world’s best know football training shoes, the
Samba has been around since 1950, when it was firstproduced
tohelp footballers train on hard,icy groundin the winter. Just
as the shelltoe is the trademarkof the Superstar, the tan
colored ‘gumsole’ with suction padsis the trademarkof the
Samba.
THE GAZELLE
The Gazelle was (obviously) named after the antelope of the
same name. As the name suggests, it was originallymeant tobe
a track trainingshoe when it was launched in 1969. After the
Superstar this is probablythe most popular adidas shoe ever
made andis the preferred shoe ofcelebrities such as
Jamiroquai,Liam Gallagher ofOasis & Madonna

12. adidas Originals: the heritage
THE STAN SMITH
This shoe was introduced in 1971 andwas named after the UStennis
player Stan Smith. Stan Smiths areeasily identifiable as they donot
carrythe three stripes. Instead, they havethree rowsof perforations
(dots) andthe full adidas logowith the trefoil on the midsole. Their
highly simple, yet classic design has againmade them on of the most
popular adidas shoes ofall time.
Stan Smith was one ofthe
world’s best tennis players in
the early 70s, peaking at #1 in
1972, when he won
Wimbledon

13. adidas Originals: the heritage
THE CAMPUS
This was a suede version ofthe popular Superstar basketball shoe (which
was leather). They were launched as direct competition tothe popular
‘Clyde’ basketball shoe fromPuma
THE SL72
These popular athletic shoes were
actually launched in 1974 (and not
72 as their name suggests). They are
characterized by their serrated sole
&nylon upper combined with
suede reinforcements. They were
popularizedby the hit 70s TV shows
Starsky &Hutch, where they were
the trademark shoes of David
Starsky.

14. Important personalities: Muhammad Ali
Quite simply, the greatest boxer the worldhas ever seen, Muhammad Ali was
voted ‘Sportsman Of The Century’ by the BBC &Sports Illustrated Magazine in
1999. He is a three time Heavyweight Champion Of The World andalso an
Olympic gold medal winner for the US.His larger than life personality and
famous quotes made him a cult figurein the 70s andhe is still one ofthe most
famous athletes in the world.
Some ofhis most famous quotes are:
IAmTheGreatest
Ifloatlike abutterfly &sting likeabee
He alsooften referred tohimself as The G.O.A.T, which stood for
The Greatest Of All Time

15. Important personalities: Missy Elliott
Missy Elliott is the highest selling female rapper of all time- she
has sold more than 30million CDs worldwide. Some of hermore
famous songs are WorkIt,Lose Control and hersignature song-
Get UrFreak On
In2004,adidas Originals began to collaborate with Missy Elliott
for a signature line called Respect M.E. This line offers footwear
and apparel that is inspired by Missy’s own personal sense of
style. In fact, Missy spend 2 days a years with adidas designers in
order to approve these designs herself. Hergreatest hits album in
2006was also called Respect M.E.

16. Important personalities: Kareem Abdul Jabbar
Kareem performing histrademark
‘skyhook’ in adidas Superstars
Kareem Abdul Jabbaris regardedas one ofthe greatest basketball players tohave
ever played the game andholds the NBA record for most points scored in history-
38,387, more than even Michael Jordan(who only scored 32,292) . From 1975 tohis
retirement in 1989, he played for the LosAngeles Laker, where he wore the legendary
#33jersey.
Kareem’s trademark shot was the ‘skyhook’ a hook shot in which he bent his whole
body instead ofjust his arm. As he stood 7”2 ,the skyhook was virtually impossible to
block, especially since he could shoot it fromeither hand.

17. Important personalities: Robbie Williams
Robbie Williams began his career with the boy band
Take That before starting his solo career in 1996. He is
currently the most successful male artistin the worldand
the most successful British male artist of all time, having
sold 53 million albums and15 million singles worldwide.
In 2006, he also entered the Guinness Book ofRecords
forselling 1.6 million tickets in one day.
In 2006, Robbie’s latest album, Rudebox featured him in a white adidas tracktop
on its cover. The song Rudebox alsofeatured the lyrics:
‘Rock 3stripes,
NottheAsics,
A-D-I-D-A-S,
Oldschoolthisisthebest’

18. Important personalities
James Hunt wasone of the most flamboyant Formula One drivers of all time
andwas F1 world champion in 1976. He was famous for his excessive lifestyle
andused towear patches saying ‘Sex- Breakfast ofChampions’ and‘Sex- It’s a
High Performance Thing’ on his racing overalls. He died in 1993 at the ageof
45.
GerdMuller was one of the highest goalscorers in football history andhas scored
moregoals than any other German player (68 goals in 62 appearances). He was also
the highest ever scorer in the German Bundesliga, scoring 365 goals forBayern
Munich duringhis career. He was short andnot very athletic looking, however he
hadlethal speed over short distances, which earned him the nickname TheBomber.

19. Important personalities
Franz Beckenbauer is widely regarded as the greatest German footballer ofall
time. He led Germany to aWorldCupvictory as captain in 1974 andagain as
manager in 1990. He was twice voted European Footballer ofThe Year and
won three European Cupswith Bayern Munich. He wasnicknamed Der Kaiser
(The Emperor) for his elegant style andleadership skills.
IlieNastase was a Romanian tennis player whowas one ofthe world’stop
ranked players in the early 70s. From 1973- 74, hewas the world’s #1player.
He was the original‘bad boy’ oftennis andwas notorious forlosing his
temper on court. In his autobiography, he claimed tohave slept with over
2,500 women.

20. adidas Originals: today
Sports Heritage Street Credibility
meets
to create an invitation to celebrate one’s uniqueoriginality &individuality
In other words,Originals is abrand that is unique &authentic. Originals does things differently &creatively. It
supports self expression, such as street art &music. It is sexy andstylish. It is classic yet stylish. Mostimportantly, it
celebrates originality.

21. adidas Originals: 2 key questions
Q. How is adidas Originals different from ‘normal’ adidas (SP)?
A. ‘Normal’ adidasis a pure sports performance brand,intended tooffer the consumer the most innovative
andadvanced sportsproducts available. Originals however, is more of afashion brand,intended tooffer
the consumer premium & stylish lifestyle products forcasual use. Simply put- you would wear SPat the gym
orwhile running, but you wouldwear Originals at a barora club.
Q. What makes Originals such a special brand?How is it different from all the other brands? Why should Ispend
money on it?
A. What makes Originals so special is that EVERY TREFOIL HAS A STORY. Every single Originals product has a
special story about it. Unlike many other brands,Originals products arenot just‘designed- they areall derived
orinspired by classic adidas products orathletes. When a consumer buysan Original product, he isbuying
into over 40 years of adidasheritage.

22. adidas Originals: key brand ranges
Ali byadidas
This is a rangeinspired by thelife &times of
MuhammadAli. It offers luxurious&sophisticated
products featuring iconic visuals &quotes by the
great manhimself. This is aimedat the well to do
male consumer.
Respect M.E
This sexy yethighlyfeminineline has been developed in
collaboration with Missy Elliott herself. Therange is further
subdivided into two lines- Bass (which has louder branding and
colors) for slightly youngerconsumersand Rhythm(which is more
understated and elegant) for older consumers

23. adidas Originals: key brand ranges
Freizeit
Freizeit is Germanfor ‘Free Time’.As the namesuggests,
this is a highlysophisticated leisure wear line,inspired by
classic sports suchas tennis, golf &sailing.
Sleek Series
This is a highlyfeminineline offering sleekerand more elegant
redesigns on classic adidas products. adidas has also collaborated
with a French street artist named Fafi, who has designed special
drawings exclusively for use onSleek Series products. Sleek Series
combines feminineelegance with sporty fun.

24. adidas Originals: key brand ranges
Porsche Design
Thecollaboration between adidas &Porsche dates back to the
friendship between the founders of the two companies- Adi
Dassler & FerdinandPorsche. Also, both companies stood for
performance-on the athletic field or on the racingtrack. Porsche
Design offers premiumproducts inspired by the designs of classic
Porsche cars from the 50s&60s
Goodyear Mobility
This footwear only range is a collaboration between adidas &
Goodyear tires, who provide the soles for these racingshoes. This
rangedates back to adidas’ involvement with motorsport in both
FormulaOne as well as Moto GP.