Adidas: Brand Research and Logo Analyses

Sport brand and retailer Adidas, has been going from strength to strength since 1949. The company’s story began in Bavaria, Germany in 1924 as Adolf Dassler registered ‘Gebrüder Dassler Schuhfabrik’ and embarked on a mission to provide athletes with the best possible equipment. It was not until 1949, however, that Dassler decided to start over. On August 18, 1949, he registered the ‘Adi Dassler adidas Sportschuhfabrik.’ It was also on this day that Dassler registered a shoe that featured the registration of the famous adidas three-stripes, and in doing so set in motion an extraordinary launch to fame making Adidas one of the most recognisable sportswear brands in the world, impacting branding in ways previously unimaginable. 

When consumers think of Adidas, their next immediate thought is undoubtedly the company’s signature three-stripes — with even Dassler having been known to have referred to his brand as ‘The Three Stripe Company.’ Although at first these were used for superficial aesthetic, they have since transcended into a more conceptually driven foundation to the Adidas brand. Another distinctive visual of the Adidas brand is the swiss, sans-serif, lower-case typestyle used that was in emergence in the nineteen-twenties in Russia, The Netherlands and Germany when Dassler began registering his ventures. This bold, modern aesthetic has served the company great purpose in establishing a timeless brand that has remained and maintained a current, contemporary identity despite the time that has passed since its creation. 

The next milestone in the Adidas branding came in 1972, with the introduction of the trefoil logo, potentially the most significant symbol in Adidas history. The logo was developed as the company began to expand into leisure and apparel markets, and as such was their first purposefully designed logo having simply relied on the three stripes featuring on all they manufactured as an element for consumer identification. 

The logo shows a symmetrical three-leaf trefoil. Each of these leaves represent the main landmasses of the Americas, Europe and Africa (and Asia respectively) in order to communicate the company’s expansion into a global brand. Three intersecting horizontal lines are suggested through space across the trefoil, representative of the brand’s diversity whilst providing cohesion and connection to the company’s established identity. This understated, iconic logo has been cemented into cultural consciousness across the globe having been worn by celebrities and hence has permeated every aspect Popular Culture. Though this logo is now reserved for only the heritage Adidas Originals products, it remains legendary as part of the brand.

In 1990, the brand produced a new logo for use on equipment and sporting goods to differentiate them from their leisure and apparel products. The aesthetic of this logo is reminiscent of the three-stripes originally featured on Adidas trainers. Exhibiting three slightly staggered diagonal lines — horizontally cropped at the bottom — the logo was created by creative director Peter Moore to resemble a mountain to signify the challenges athletes face and the limits they push themselves to for success. Though this logo did achieve the same success as the trefoil, it remains consistent as part of the Adidas brand and therefore shares the same fame. This logo was made the overarching company logo 1997. 

The Adidas logo in 2015 again changed to a simple word-mark logo, still using the type introduced in the company’s early years. Featured left, alongside the word-mark are 3 horizontal lines, said  to represent quality and leadership whilst maintaining flexibility for the future.

In addition to the companies undeniable leadership in the sporting industry, the fame of the brand has manifested itself into an altogether new form that comes by the name of ‘Sports Luxe.’ This being one of the most significant fashion trends of 2015, going into 2016, consisting of sport-inspired garments worn as statements of identity — whether an athlete or not. Adidas have achieved this through collaborations with major high-street fashion retailer Topshop via the ‘Topshop x Adidas Originals’ collection, acclaimed British fashion designer Stella McCartney via the ‘Adidas by Stella McCartney’ collection as well as British singer Rita Ora’s collection ‘Adidas Originals by Rita Ora.’

Adidas unquestionably owes its success to the simplicity, adaptability and understated aesthetic of it’s branding. By remaining consistent, cohesive and distinct in their approach to the identity the brand has survived numerous logo adaptations and remained at the forefront of its industry. The brand has also established and maintained a thriving relationship with its target consumers by remaining true to its heritage and visual language throughout its time as a leader in its field. 

Essay Points and Accompanying Quotations

Essay Question: “What is the relationship between branding and The Consumer Self?"

Point One: Brands are Representative of Identity.

Through point one I wish to address the perspectives of each source concerned with the notion that brands are representative of identity.

• "Branding enables us to define ourselves in terms of a shorthand that is immediately comprehensible to the world around us." (Olins. 2003: 14, 27)

• "(Brands are) everything that enables human beings to help define themselves. Brands represent identity."  (Olins. 2003: 27)

• ‘I believed that by the sheer virtue of acquiring these objects, they would magically convert me into a dramatically different person — the person I longed to be.’ (Millman. 2011: 2)

• ‘Design, by its very nature, can cast ideas about who we are and how we should behave…it has an especially important role in the visualisation of class positions and status.’ (Miles. 1998: 39)

• 'People identify strongly with cultural icons, and often rely on these symbols in their everyday lives.’ (Holt. 2004: 1)

Point Two: Consumers decide which Brands will Succeed.

Through point two I wish to explore the ideology that is is the consumers who decide which brands will succeed, as opposed to the marketing companies and brands themselves targeting particular groups and lifestyles to ultimately ensure success.

• "We like brands. If we didn't like them, we wouldn't buy them. It is we consumers who decide which brands will succeed and which will fail." (Olins. 2003: 15)

• ‘Brands are no longer internally managed “objects.” They are managed by consumers despite what a company’s P&L or annual report might otherwise state.’ (Millman. 2011)

• ‘Power in this relationship,  from one point of view, is with the consumer.’ (Miles, 1998: 38)

• ‘Most consumer brands need a cultural strategy as part of their branding tool kits. Often enough, brands require hybrid strategies.’ (Holt. 2004: 8)  

Point Three: They Key to a Successful Brand is Emotion and Social Content.

Point three is to identify the ideas of the sources concerned with what they believe the key to a successful brand to be.

• It's not just what they are, but also what they represent that makes them powerful. (Olins. 2003: 18)

• ‘The most important aspect of creating a brand is the ability of the brand to make a difference in someone’s life.’ (Millman. 2011)

• ‘Companies must inevitably operate as part of the industry as a whole and thus must, at east to a certain extent, prioritise financial profits before ecological concerns.’  (Miles. 1998: 45)

• ‘Iconic brands provide extraordinary identity value because they address the collective anxieties and desires of a nation.’ (Holt. 2004: 10)

Point Four: The Future of Brands.

Point four is concerned with capturing the predictions and forecasts from the sources on the future of branding. 

• ‘We will see brands coming from cultures and countries we did not previously take seriously.’ (Olins. 2011: 21)

• 'Consumer habits are subject to shifts.' (Millman, 2011: 5)

• "Nations and niche products are striving to brand their individuality.’ (Millman, 2011: 5)

• ‘Branding should in effect become more of a negotiation between the designer and the consumer.’ (Miles. 1998: 50)

• ‘A set of tactic strategic principles I call the cultural branding model’ (Holt. 2004: 22) 

Identifying Sources and Quotations - D. B. Holt // How Brands Become Icons.

Douglas B. Holt's 'How Brands Become Icons - The Principles of Cultural Branding' presents a systematic model explaining how some of America's most successful iconic brands have reached such acclaimed positions of social power. With brands such as Coca-Cola, Harley-Davidson, Nike, and Budweiser - all of which are valued by consumers more for what they symbolise than for what they do -  having achieved cultural iconic status, Holt highlights how these brands create "identity myths" that, through powerful symbolism 'soothe collective anxieties' resulting from acute social change. Holt argues that icons cannot be created via conventional branding strategies which focus on benefits, brand personalities, and emotional relationships but instead must be instilled with a deeper cultural perspectives. He outlines a distinctive set of "cultural branding" principles used by some of the most successful brands of the last half-century to build their own iconic brands.

Harvard Reference:

Holt, D. B. (2004) How Brands Become Icons. Boston, Mass. Harvard Business School Press.

Identified Quotations:

• 'People identify strongly with cultural icons, and often rely on these symbols in their everyday lives.’ (Holt. 2004: 1)

• ‘Most consumer brands need a cultural strategy as part of their branding tool kits. Often enough, brands require hybrid strategies.’ (Holt. 2004: 8)  

• ‘Iconic brands provide extraordinary identity value because they address the collective anxieties and desires of a nation.’ (Holt. 2004: 10)

• ‘A set of tactic strategic principles I call the cultural branding model’ (Holt. 2004: 22) 

Identifying Sources and Quotations - Steven Miles // Consumerism as a Way of Life

Steven Miles' 'Consumerism as a Way of Life' book provides an introduction to the historical and theoretical foundations of consumerism. This is followed by an examination of the experience of consumption in the areas of space and place, technology, fashion, 'popular' music and sport. Throughout, miles evidences a critical perspective to bear upon the subject, thus providing 

a 'reliable and stimulating' guide to a complex field with many sides and views.

Harvard Reference:

Miles, S. (1998) Consumerism: As a way of life. New York: Sage.

Identified Quotations:

• ‘Design, by its very nature, can cast ideas about who we are and how we should behave…it has an especially important role in the visualisation of class positions and status.’ (Miles. 1998: 39)

• ‘Power in this relationship,  from on point of view, is with the consumer.’ (Miles, 1998: 38)

• ‘Companies must inevitably operate as part of the industry as a whole and thus must, at east to a certain extent, prioritise financial profits before ecological concerns.’  (Miles. 1998: 45)

• ‘Branding should in effect become more of a negotiation between the designer and the consumer.’ (Miles. 1998: 50)

Identifying Sources and Quotations - Debbie Millman // Brand Thinking & Other Noble Pursuits

Debbie Millman's Brand Thinking and Other Noble Pursuits is a collaborative publication through with Millman and whole host of other creative greats help to define the notion of the brand via open

discussion of the subject to the level of revelation. Each chapter is an extensive dialogue between Debbie Millman, herself a 'design visionary,' and a different leader in the field. By asking questions deeply informed by her own expertise, she is able to evoke a dialogue that is both engaging and enlightening, shedding light on the state of modern branding and how companies and consumers

can best understand the behavior behind why we brand and why we buy.

Harvard Reference:

Millman, D. (2011) Brand Thinking and Other Noble Pursuits. New York, NY: Allworth Press, U.S.

Identified Quotations:

• ‘I believed that by the sheer virtue of acquiring these objects, they would magically convert me into a dramatically different person — the person I longed to be.’ (Millman. 2011: 2)

• ‘Brands are no longer internally managed “objects.” They are managed by consumers despite what a company’s P&L or annual report might otherwise state.’ (Millman. 2011)

• ‘The most important aspect of creating a brand is the ability of the brand to make a difference in someone’s life.’ (Millman. 2011)

• 'Consumer habits are subject to shifts.' (Millman, 2011: 5)

• "Nations and niche products are striving to brand their individuality.’ (Millman, 2011: 5)

Study Task 06 - Establishing the Requirements of Practical Investigation

What is practice-based research?

Practice-based research is a form of research methodology that uses "practice," alongside other forms, as a means of discovering or generating knowledge. While the emphasis is still very much on establishing a critical understanding of the issue, practice-based research acknowledges the role of making and visual communication in establishing this understanding

Selected essay/research question:

“What is the relationship between branding and The Consumer Self?"

Approach to Practical Investigation 

Techniques: Branding / Visual Identity production.

Content: Identified brand strategies put into practice via branding.

Communication / Message: Identifying the brand strategies of a successful brand can assist the creation and success of a new brand or re-brand of an established identity.

Research/Analysis: Primary research via critiques and questioning // Secondary research to inform and proving understanding of project being undertaken.

Exploration / Evaluation: Critiques, self evaluation and analysis of design decisions.


Rationale 

The question I am looking to provide an answer(s) to via practical investigation is “What is the relationship between branding and The Consumer Self?" It is my aim to identify the dynamic of this relationship and its complexity, defining the dynamic between brands and the consumer to detail the contributing factors that keep the relationship at a perpetual state of to and fro between both parties involved (marketers and consumers). The contexts of my research will focus primarily on brand strategy and perception, as well as elements of consumerism and lifestyle. I plan to use books, reputable internet sources and opportunities to receive feedback to inform and progress the work being untaken/practically investigated. The  practical work will aim to demonstrate the strategies and notions detailed in the essay through putting them into practice to design a new visual identity/change an existing identity.

Study Task 05 - Planning and Structuring an Essay

Below is a preliminary plan documenting my initial thoughts for the essay structure and content:

Question:

• “What is the relationship between branding and The Consumer Self?"

Sources:

• Olins, W. (2003) Wally Olins: On Brand. London: Thames and Hudson.
• Miles, S. (1998) Consumerism: As a way of life. New York: Sage.
• Millman, D. (2011) Brand Thinking And Other Noble Pursuits. New York. Sky horse Publishing.
• Holt, D. B. (2004) How Brands Become Icons. Boston, Mass. Harvard Business School Press.

Potential Work for Analysis: 

My proposed work for analysis in the essay comes from Adidas. One of the most famous sports brands and visual identities thanks to its distinct three-stripe brand-mark, this brand has a copious amount of characteristics and strategies to be identified and analysed. 

Essay Structure

Introduction - 200 words - Establishing thesis.

Posing the question as to what brands are to be considered in the present and in contemporary design practices and how they are to be potentially interpreted regarding their relationship with the consumer. What are brands capable of and why?

Point One - 400 words - Brands Represent Identity.

Exploration and analysis of the notion that the consumer uses brands as a utility to self-define and project to others. 

Point Two - 400 words - Consumers decide which brands will succeed.

Exploration and analysis of the viewpoint that consumers decide which brands will succeed rather than the designers manipulation of their knowledge of the consumer and associated habitual traits.

Point Three - 400 words - The key to a successful brand is emotion and social content.

Exploration and analysis of the effect of social and emotional contexts placed within brands and how this affects the consumer. 

Point Four - 400 words - The future of brands.

Exploration and analysis of the predictions and forecasts of the future of branding and the relationship  between designers and the consumer. 

Brand Analysis - 700 words - Adidas

Exploration and analysis of identified characteristics and strategies of the brand and how they have resulted in the sport retailer's success.

Conclusion - 300 words -  Answering the question.

Concluding the points made throughout the essay to define the relationship between branding and the consumer. 

Peer Feedback:

Explore each of the adidas logo/identity variations and what each of them mean in relation to the brand and its strategies. 

Study Task 04 - Summarising and Paraphrasing

Olly Wallins - On Brand, Chapter 01.

The tone of voice used by Olly Wallins in chapter one of his book "On Brand" is that of a distinctly informed character. He communicates the presence and dynamics of branding and consumerism in society objectively, with the addition of some subjective view points throughout the text - though these are supported by evidence enforcing his ideologies. The text is delivered via conversational prose through Wallins' first person, fluent, and personally-written narrative. The monologue, although sector specific and abundant with industry terminology and specialised language, doesn't feature jargon - it isn't obnoxious or pretentiously written - but is easily understood and clear in the communication of its message(s). A message of significance within Wallins' text is the notion that brands are representative of identity. That the success of a brand is dependent upon how the consumer identifies themselves within its visual language, or what the identity stands for in terms of ethics and company intent. The chapter provides copious amounts of Wallins' belief in this as he proclaims 'Branding enables us to define ourselves in terms of a shorthand that is immediately comprehensible to the world around us' and that 'brands are everything that enable human beings to help define themselves. Brands represent identity.' What Wallins is trying to communicate here is the impact brands have on society and  culture. He is identifying the human trait to find assurance in the familiarity of brands as a result of their prominence within everyday life, through which people are able to promote their character and personality, beliefs even, via their selected brands.

Study Task 03 - Reading and Understanding a Text

Today's session entailed identifying the tone of voice within a text relating to our selected essay question in preparation for next week's session. The question I have chosen to explore is “What is the relationship between branding and The Consumer Self?”

I chose this question as branding is something that has always interested me. I am fascinated by the effect branding has on consumers and what it is that establishes a successful relationship between identity and target. This is something I somewhat explored during my graphic design A-Level, however I wish to delve deeper into this subject, attain a greater subject knowledge, understanding and ability to communicate through branding.

The extract of text I read today was from "On Brand" by Olly Wallins. Detailed below are my findings from the text.

Tone of Voice:

The tone of voice used by Wallins in the extract is clearly informed. He communicates objectively, with the addition of some subjective view points. The text is delivered via conversational prose through Wallins first person, fluent, personally-written short paragraphs. The monologue, although sector specific and abundant with industry terminology and specialised language, doesn't feature jargon - it isn't obnoxious or pretentiously written - but is easily understood and clear in the communication of it's message. 

5 Key points the text is trying to deliver:

• Brands are controlled by the consumer.
• It is both the visually identity of a brand and what it stands for that make it powerful.
• Brands represent identity.
• The key to a successful brand is emotion and social content.
• Brands should provide reassurance. 

5 Key Quotes from the text:

• "Branding enables us to define ourselves in terms of a shorthand that is immediately comprehensible to the world around us." (Olins. 2003: 14, 27)

• "We like brands. If we didn't like them, we wouldn't buy them. It is we consumers who decide which brands will succeed and which will fail." (Olins. 2003: 15)

• "It's not just what they are, but also what they represent that makes them powerful."  (Olins. 2003: 18)

• "Each time you read the word "brand" replace it with 'image' or 'reputation'." (Olins. 2003: 22)

• "(brands are) everything that enables human beings to help define themselves. Brands represent identity."  (Olins. 2003: 27)

Study Task 02 - Finding Research Sources

In today's session we explored research resources, discussing which are dependable, reliable and regarded as safe in terms of delivering information that is true to fact. 

Available Resources:

Library Books  |  Documentaries  |  Google Books  |  Internet  | Critical Journals 

When finding research to inform your practice from the internet, it has to be ensured that the information being delivered is from a reputable source. Identifying trusted research can be 

made easier by looking at the URL of the webpage. For example, pages ending in .edu

or .ac.uk can be considered trustworthy as a result of their evident affiliation with 

universities and educational institutions. 

Finding a Source

Considering the available methods of research as documented above, I set out to find a a resource concerned with the question “What is the relationship between branding and The Consumer Self?” 

as this is the topic that stood out to me most prominently. I came across the following resource via google books, which although does not supply the full book it provides a large extract of the book - enough for comprehensive information to be indulged in. This is common when exploring books

via google, as they exhibit previews of full publication. The book evidences content that explores contemporary branding.

More Than A Name: An Introduction to Branding

By Melissa Davis, Jonathan Baldwin

Chapter 1: Defining Branding

Page 26

The book explores the 'new world' of the brand. It explores brands as far more than just logos, discussing the larger creative and economic process of branding as well as the psychological theory behind impactful and successful brands. The text is supported by practical tips and exercises, as well as contemporary examples from some of the world's best-known brands and brand agencies. This means the content is of a genuine and reliable nature and would therefore be an appropriate resource to cite within an essay. The book has potential to supply essay analysis and investigation.

Study Task 01 - Image Analysis Exercise

Schumacher and Ettlinger's "The Uncle Sam Range"(1876, New York) and The Empire Marketing Board's "East African Transport Old Style" and "East African Transport New Style" (1930-31) are both adverting images concerned with portraying specific ideologies, though they use differentiating visual languages to best communicate their messages. 

“The Uncle Sam Range” advertisement is inundated with excessive American imagery; The  image features the iconic red, white and blue “stars and stripes” visual language of America on the carpet, curtains, wall coverings and clothes worn by some of the subjects in the picture. In addition to this vast presence of American imagery, also featured centrally to the composition of the piece is Uncle Sam himself  with an eagle upon his shoulder— a noted representational, personification, embodiment even, of the American government and country as a whole. The typography featured in the bottom sector of the composition, which too is communicated through a decorative, western-style, perhaps brash decorative type, is almost lost in translation as a result of the complexity of pattern and energetic background it is set on. Due to this, it could be considered that the true subject of this advertisement, being the Uncle Sam cooker range,  is overshadowed by the nationalist symbolism and busy aesthetic of the image. The concept of the advertisement I believe is to entice people not only in America, but around the world, to buy into “The American Dream,” or at least a part of it through the ownership of an “Uncle Sam Range” cooker. The right-side of the image depicts persons sat around a table, the most prominent being an image of a personified globe with arms and legs, with an illustrated face on Africa, whom is holding a bill of fair (receipt) for the food being prepared by young black boy at the cooker in the left of the image. This is significant for a number of reasons. Firstly, the advertisement was created 11 years after the abolishment of slavery in America (1865) and yet the illustrated advertisement still features imagery of this through the black subject. Secondly, the personified continent of Africa on the globe implies a deeper racial context, whilst his possession of the receipt of food bears strong suggestion of America’s cultural superiority as it “feeds the world” despite the known poverty in Africa. It is perhaps more likely this is representative of American laughing at the primitive nature of other countries. The notion of America as a country of greatness in the advertisement in my opinion is exaggerated, evidenced through the presence of the declaration of independence hung on the wall and the significance of the dates shown on the clock — these being 1876 and 1776. This symbolism is important as it signifies a hundred years from the independence achieved by the country is 1776 to the present day in which the advertisement had been created. It is my view that the image as a whole is desperately trying to deliver a message of America as the superior country despite having only gained independence a hundred years prior to the creation of the image. It has to be considered exactly how far they could have realistically progressed in what in the grand scheme of things was a short amount of time, and whether the abundance of American imagery featured in the piece is an overcompensation in trying to glorify the country beyond measure in attempt to sell the “Uncle Sam cooker Range.”

The Empire Marketing board’s “East African Transport Old Style” and “East African Transport New Style” posters by Adrian Allison, from the “Colonial Progress Brings Home Prosperity” series  — displayed December 1930-January 1931; Waterlow and Sons Ltd (major worldwide engravers of currency, postage stamps, stocks and bond certificates, London) also feature imagery suggestive of cultural superiority. The old style poster depicts native East African men and women travelling across grassland transporting large, heavy objects with their own strength, with no aid of technologies available at the time in other parts of the world. Juxtaposing with this image is the scene identifiable in the “new style” poster. 

In this image evidence of technological progression can be seen through a constructed bridge, boats and trucks. The other significant change in this second image is the presence of a white presumably British male, stood authoritatively in the foreground of the image, whilst behind him are the men of East Africa working behind him, or perhaps beneath him as he directs their labour. This changes bears significance in that it depicts man as the leaders of the new world,  a new prejudiced way to live. The two images are clearly depictions of the colonialism of East Africa through the British Empire. The purpose of these images are not only to spread the message of  the empire  as a positive force to gain investment in further colonialism, but to also promote the act to the colonised in attempt to convince them of its advantages. This makes the target of the image both investors, including the rich, upper classes of East Africa, but also those who have had the colonialism forced upon them. The series of posters have the aim of presenting the patriotic British Empire as the reason for the cultural advancement and progression of East Africa, with colonialism being the positive driving force for change and betterment of the native society. The reality of these images is the British Empire enforcing their culture on others, the downtrodden, for purposes of wealth and promotion of the ruling empire being the leaders of progress via imperialisation. 

Both the “Uncle Sam Range” advertisement and Empire Marketing Board’s “Colonial Progress Brings Home Prosperity” series posters celebrate cultural superiority. All these images present ideas of the prosperous being the rulers of society, with growth and progression presented as the highest in importance above all else. They seemingly justify the act of slavery, as the black subjects of the images are enslaved and dominated by the superior white American / British. Also evidenced in here is the social attitude of women being secondary to men in society. The significant message these images have in common however are their attempts to communicate technologically advanced civilisation as they key to future development — naive in their belief that without technology, advancement cannot be achieved.