Brand is Thicker Than Blood

Translation:
“Barbara Smit
Three Stripes against Puma
Two rivaled brothers and a fight over the leading world brand”

“What do you say to people who think Graphic Design is not a real major (collegiate academic field of study)?” Christina Moritz asked me.

“I don’t say much” was my reply. But sometimes I suppose all graphic designers need to entertain such queries from time to time. It keeps us honest. So here is one anecdote I cite (an athletic theme for Christina):

Adolf Dassler (“Adi”), the founder of Adidas, and Rudolf Dassler, the founder of Puma created two of the dominating global athletic brands. They also have the same last name. That’s because they were brothers.

When it comes to discussing the power and affect of popular perception by way of corporate communication, graphic design, and brute force branding, these two companies illustrate a powerful point. Most of what we consume (see, read, hear, come to believe, buy, eat, drink) is remarkably similar. That is not news to most. But in the case of ‘Adi’ and ‘Rudi’ they have fabricated two ideas that are the antithesis of each other in our mental and market space, despite their shared roots (...shared mother, shared dinner table, shared childhood toys, shared boyhood bathroom space….)

While Graphic Design can hardly take credit (or blame) or the Adidas & Puma story, it does illustrate a contribution of Graphic Design as a message maker and culture maker.

For a little more, read: Adidas versus Puma: Origins of a rivalry between brothers