A logo rooted in its history
The sports apparel giant Adidas formed its enduring brand from the combination of Karhu Sports and Dassler Shoes in post-WWII Germany. Their logo has gained international recognition thanks to its consistenty, even through its various iterations. As a manufacturer of shoes, clothing, and other essentials for athletes, Adidas has always relied upon a decidedly German symbolism to promote their company.
The Early Years
Initially, Adidas placed three parallel black lines on all of their products. Original owner Adi Dassler obtained this visual concept from Karhu and liked it so much that he consistently referred to Adidas as the “three stripe company.” In time, those stripes came to symbolize the three continents in which Adidas products were available: Europe, North America, and Asia.
The Trefoil
In the early 1970s, Adidas debuted the trefoil, a leaf-like shape with the three lines intersecting it. Using the plant imagery reflected the company’s growth and expansion from shoes into apparel. The new logo was so visually appealing that it help solidify the brand and catapult it into international success.
The Mountain
Mountain symbolism has had a huge impact on German pop culture, and Adidas is no exception. They decided to add some moun- tainous imagery to their logo, and so in 1997, they swapped out the leaf shape for an upward slope. The new shape retained the three lines, but they were placed them at an angle to signify the challenges that Adidas products help athletes overcome.
The Wordmark
Eventually, Adidas decided to minimize its logo and let its name do the talking. They removed all except the three stripes and placed them next to the word “Adidas,” famously rendered in the Avant Garde font. The stack of three lines symbolizes the upward momen- tum and multiple companies of what is now an international athletic wear conglomerate.