Adidas' fascinating history with the Nazi party, turbulent 1990s, and missed opportunities. The Yeezy deal with Kanye West and its controversy. Brands needing to reconsider celebrity partnerships strategy. The reasons behind the Beyoncé and Ivy Park collaboration not working.
Adidas has a complex history and heritage, including ties to the Nazi Party and a strong presence in soccer.
The partnership with Kanye West's Yeezy brand played a significant role in Adidas' revival, but recent controversies led to its termination.
The partnership with Beyoncé and Ivy Park struggled due to a lack of personal connection, authenticity, and challenges in delivering the promised experience.
Deep dives
Adidas' Complex History and Heritage
Adidas has a complex history and heritage, including ties to the Nazi Party and the split between its founders. The company saw success in the early days with innovations like rubber cleats and outfitting athletes like Jesse Owens. Its strong ties to soccer have made it a prominent brand in the sport. Adidas also found a cultural foothold in hip-hop through collaborations with Run DMC, which solidified its status in the genre. The company faced challenges in the 1990s, but with new leadership, a focus on product innovation, and the resurgence of its Adidas Originals line, it managed to turn things around.
Yeezy and the Revival of Adidas
The partnership between Adidas and Kanye West's Yeezy brand played a significant role in the company's revival. Kanye's passion for design and fashion resonated with consumers, and his limited edition drops created hype and demand. The success of Yeezy brought Adidas back into the conversation, challenging its competitors. The popularity of Yeezy also paved the way for other collaborations and derivative shoes that were inspired by the Yeezy brand. However, recent controversies and anti-Semitic comments made by Kanye have led to the termination of the partnership and put Adidas in a challenging position.
The Beyoncé and Ivy Park Collaboration
Adidas partnered with Beyoncé and her Ivy Park brand with hopes of replicating the success of the Yeezy collaboration. However, unlike Kanye's genuine passion for design, Beyoncé's involvement in the creative process seemed less apparent. The lack of a strong personal connection and authenticity may have contributed to the partnership's struggles in resonating with consumers. Additionally, challenges in delivering the promised experience and the overall brand perception impacted the sales of the Ivy Park line. As a result, Adidas dropped the brand, leading to a decline in sales projections.
Partnerships and Acquisitions
Adidas made several strategic partnerships and acquisitions in the 2000s and 2010s to compete with Nike and increase cultural relevancy. They acquired Reebok, which brought them closer to hip hop culture, but later divested it. Adidas also partnered with artists like Kanye West and Pharell Williams to tap into the celebrity footwear market. While the Kanye West collaboration was successful initially, sales eventually plateaued. Adidas also focused on soccer, capitalizing on the sport's growing popularity in North America. However, the dissolution of the Yeezy deal and slower sales impacted their trajectory.
Missed Opportunities and Cultural Disconnects
Adidas missed an opportunity to sign Michael Jordan and compete with Nike in basketball. They believed only big men could sell shoes, ignoring Jordan's potential as a cultural icon. Kanye West's Yeezy deal was a mixed bag. It brought immense success initially, granting Adidas cultural relevance, but his behavior led to controversy and damaged the brand. Despite this, Adidas continues to have success with their Adidas Originals line and iconic three-stripe logo, symbolizing the enduring power of their timeless designs.
Adidas has one of the most insane backstories of any major apparel company. From its ties to the Nazi party, and its turbulent relationship with Kanye West, to its partnerships with Hip-Hop, and its influence in soccer, we cover it all.
We also talk about the brands rise, its strongest years, Beyoncé, Ivy Park, and why celestial star power isn't always enough.
In this episode I’m joined by friend of the pod Zack O’Malley Greenburg as we break it all down. We examine Adidas’ story history, strategic moves, missteps and more.
03:40 Adidas’ history with the Nazi party.
20:04 Adidas' turbulent 1990s and missed opportunities.
34:12 Adidas’ Yeezy deal with Kanye West.
41:07 The Yeezy anti-semitism controversy.
47:19 Brands need to reconsider celebrity partnerships strategy.
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