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Adidas-Puma: War of the Dassler

against Adolf Rudolf Dassler Adidas v Puma ... against Dassler. The story of these two industry giants material Sports is the story of Cain fight between two brothers that led to limit their hatred and unscrupulous commercial battle. It all began nearly a century ago, in the laundry room of a house in a small German town.

Herzogenaurach is a quiet cobbled streets of medieval town of 24,000 inhabitants located in central Germany, a few kilometers from Nuremberg. In a house in this small town began our history, two brothers who started out as partners in a thriving business of sports shoes and ended up facing personal reasons, political and business to form a rivalry unparalleled in history sport. In that struggle without quarter would be born the two largest European sports equipment: Adidas and Puma.

all began in 1920 when the young Adolf Dassler, a sports enthusiast, his first shoes designed specifically for running, with outer soles of leather and hand-forged nails. Making these early models, in collaboration with his brother Rudolf, was entirely handmade and he uses a leather cutter, operated pedal, in the laundry room of his mother.

That rudimentary contraption and its first designs in 1924 gave rise to the founding of the Gebrüder Dassler Schuffabrik factory shoes Dassler brothers, soon became a landmark in the world of sport. For two decades Adolf (known by his associates as Adi) and Rudolf worked together. The first was an introvert and scrupulous craftsman, whose greatest obsession was to make the best shoes for athletes, the second, more outgoing and sociable, he was an excellent commercial. They had very different personalities, are complementary, and that led them in a first stage success. The key: good quality materials, shoes extreme resistance and, over time, specialized models for each sport.

In 1932 the first shoe designed for long distance athletes, with bands of leather nailed diagonally across the sole. Four years later, Jesse Owens wins the Berlin Olympics wearing a model of the Dassler brothers, low cut and strategically placed nails in the sole to make adherence to the track. was the first time that clearly marked the difference between running shoes for track and distance events. The Dassler brand reached its peak under the Nazis, but by then had begun the differences between the brothers.

Dassler Dassler against
few years earlier, had married Adi Käthe, a strong and intelligent woman soon deeply involved in the business, causing tensions and some clashes with Rudolf. However, it was during World War II when the distance would be final. By order of the Third Reich, the family factory is converted into a workshop and spare tanks, launchers, and Adi get rid of bearing arms to take over the business converted, while Rudolf-convinced of the Nazi cause is sent to the front in Poland. This difference in treatment caused a major upset the older sibling.

Years later, when Herzogenaurach free allies, Rudolf is jailed for a year on charges of belonging to the intelligence service of the SS, always blamed his brother betrayed him. Then the break it was finally and absolutely irreversible. The hatred between them was so strong that it was quite impossible for them to work together again. Different characters, different political views different business ambitions ... In October 1948 Rudolf Dassler founded Puma on one side of the river Aurach, Adi kept the original features of the factory but renamed his company. On August 18, 1949 legally registered the name of Adidas, which arises from the diminutive of his name (Adi ) plus the first syllable of his surname ( Das ).

Over the years, both companies have become globally recognized two business giants, and have shoes and clothing to major sports stars : Adidas to Bob Beamon, Cassius Clay, Dick Fosbury, Beckenbauer, Tim Duncan, Beckham Messi, among many others; Puma Pele, Guillermo Vilas, Maradona, Boris Becker or Usain Bolt. Adidas, which still has its headquarters on the outskirts of Herzogenaurach, in a former military base now employs 29,000 people worldwide (counting also Reebok and Taylor Made, the other two group members) and had revenues in 2009 of 10,350 million euros. Puma, meanwhile, has 9,200 employees and revenues of 2,460 million euros last year.

A people divided into two
But back to the late 40's. The clash of the Dassler was also confronting a whole people. Thereafter Herzogenaurach was divided into two groups to really grotesque extremes, the river was Aurach border between the two. This town became known as the "city of bent necks" because it was customary among the people turn their heads to see what shoes bearing his contertulio before starting a conversation.

Almost all the people had direct, one way or another, with one of the two brands. Thus, a faithful worker and went to different shops and bars than the other, and children about not going to the same schools and played with the other. Also founded two soccer clubs, each with its own stadium, separated by several hundred meters, the SVR, sponsored by Adidas, and FC Herzogenaurach, sponsored by Puma. In the end, or were Adidas and Puma were in a kind of "apartheid" pedestrian.

Admittedly, however, that the mark of the three bands, known as Adidas, always better if we talk about numbers, sales and billing. In the decade of the 50 and 60 was a pioneer in many aspects of sports marketing, and all thanks to the innovative ideas introduced in the company Horst Dassler, the son of Adolf. In the 1956 Melbourne Olympics brand shoes gave a good number of athletes, which thereafter began to put on. At present this is very common, even pay large sums of money to wear the stars-specific models, but at that time, which most athletes must pay their own material and many ran the entire season with same pair of shoes, was a revolution.

This novel technique of promotion, together with the quality of Adidas shoes, guaranteed for years a dominant position in the world of athletics. Horst Dassler, very charismatic and everything an entrepreneur, finally relaunched the brand has signed agreements with numerous federations, reached agreements with the biggest stars, sold the major sporting events to large multinationals ... Many consider him the father of sports marketing as we understand it today.

Pele pact
Even with the heirs to control the fighting ended and betrayal between two companies. One of the episodes more fanciful happened during the World Football Mexico 1970 and had a starring Pele. A few months before the tournament, and Armin Horst-Adi and Rudolf children and heirs of both empires, "sealed the so-called" pact of Pele, according to which any of the two companies would offer a footballer not to enter a war price they were not interested. But as between enemies are covenants not to comply, Armin a few days later traveled to the home of Brazilian star to make an irresistible offer: Puma dress from the World, and for four years, in exchange for $ 125,000 plus a commission of 10% of sales the boots that bear his name.

also agreed with the player to stage a publicity stunt to promote their products. In one of its World Cup matches, just before kickoff, the referee would ask permission to tie one of the boots which happen to be unbuttoned. Ronaldinho Then kneel and the tie very slowly, so that for a few seconds the forefront of their custom Puma King would take the screens of millions of homes worldwide. For Adidas, it was an unforgivable betrayal and vowed never to sign any agreement with their hated enemies of blood.

For decades, the dispute the Dassler was a kind of motor for the operation and development of the sports equipment industry. But the hatred-professed themselves and their descendants came to end almost inhuman. When the September 6, 1976 died the founder of Puma, from the rival firm is simply issue the following note: "For reasons of human compassion, Adolf Dassler family will not comment on the death of Rudolf Dassler. Adi died four years later, and his tomb was placed in the cemetery of Herzogenaurach as far as possible from that of his hated brother. So separated in death as they were in life. Today

war between these two marks rivals is history. In recent decades, and after various vicissitudes economic and business- two companies have broken ties with the heirs of its founders, to carry out a more professionalised, removed completely from those personal disputes. It is curious to know, however, the only member of the continuing saga that linked to one of the two companies is Frank Dassler, grandson of the founder of Puma ... who works for Adidas. As the motto of the brand of the three bands, nothing is impossible .