They are like red and white wine, like sea and snow, like bicycles and automobiles — it seems as if there is no one and nothing but them. Nike and adidas, two irreconcilable rivals: on people's feet — and in the advertising world.

The two giants of the industry have shaped not only athletic performance but also the global landscape of marketing and branding. We can clearly see that Nike has dominated the market for the past decades, but it wasn’t always so, and both brands have invested heavily in marketing strategies to try to be on top.  Let's talk about the evolution of both brands, showcasing the legendary campaigns and commercials that helped them capture the hearts of athletes and fans alike.

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Adidas dominance for decades

Adidas' story began in the small town of Herzogenaurach, Germany, where Adolf “Adi” Dassler founded the company in 1949 after splitting from his brother in their shared shoe business, the “Gebrüder Dassler Schuhfabrik” (Dassler Brothers Shoe Factory).

🤯 Fun Fact: His brother, Rudolf Dassler, founded none other than Puma, adidas biggest competitor for the following decades. But that is an exciting story for another blog post!

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Adi's passion for sports led him to innovate athletic footwear, notably with the introduction of the now-iconic three stripes on his shoes.

Its first breakthrough was in the 1936 Berlin Olympic Games when Adi Dassler gifted the American runner Jesse Owens with a pair of his running shoes, and he went on to break several records and win 4 Olympic medals.

Later, this focus on performance helped athletes succeed, such as the West German football team's surprising victory in the 1954 World Cup, thanks partly to adidas' lightweight, studded boots.

Up until the 1970s, adidas dominated the sports market, sponsoring the world’s most important games, such as the Olympics and the World Cup. They focused not only on sports, but also on lifestyle and fashion, which made them the number one brand for years.

But this dominance didn’t last forever, and in the 80s, Nike stepped up and rapidly started taking over the market!

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Nike stepped up

Nike’s story began in 1964, when Phil Knight started importing running shoes from Japan under the name “Blue Ribbon Sports” and later, in 1971 branded Nike.

In the 1980s, Nike started promoting its products in movies and TV shows. They were everywhere, from the iconic self-tying shoe in Back to the Future to the Nike Vandals in Terminator.

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The Mag

Nike's and Back to the Future's partnership was actually an “accident,” according to the movie’s screenwriter, Bob Gale. It was “complete happenstance.”

Michael J. Fox wasn’t the original actor in the movie; he replaced Eric Stoltz. When he got to the set, the wardrobe department didn’t have shoes for him, and he was wearing Nike high-tops. 

The shoes he was wearing were already out of production, so the production team called Nike, and they did a dozen pairs to be used in the movie. This is how their relationship began. The high point was “The Mag”, the self-lacing shoes Marty Mcfly wears on Back to the Future 2.

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The Mag, as the shoes are called, were even launched by Nike a few years ago. Check out the real version of the shoes in this video.

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Vandals

In the Terminator movie, the scene where Kyle Reese arrives from the future shows him being chased by cops as he goes into a department store and chooses Nike shoes.

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The shoes were actually recreated for Terminator Genisys. Check what Alan Taylor told USA Today about it.

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Sponsor the best — Michael Jordan

In the 1980s, Nike also worked hard to attract the best athletes by sponsoring them and having them as brand advocates. Of course, Michael Jordan was the most iconic of them, but there were many others, from Rafael Nadal to Tiger Woods, over the years.

Nike signed a sponsorship deal with Michael Jordan during his rookie year, 1984. This was a game-changer for them. Jordan signed a five-year, $2.5 million deal for his first sneaker contract.

🤯 Fun Fact: The first line of shoes launched was the Air Jordan 1. At the time, Nike expected to sell about 100,000 pairs in the first year but ended up selling over 400,000 just in the first month!

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In 1997, Nike used an inspirational, emotive approach to this campaign with Michael Jordan. There’s not much to say about Michael Jordan and his deal with Nike. Not only the Air Jordans are still sold to this day, but reportedly the whole deal brought over $1 billion to Nike in sales.

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🤯 Fun Fact: All 6 shoes Jordan wore on the titles the bulls won with him were sold by an astounding $8 million in an auction. They are called the Dinasty Collection.

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Adidas back on track

In 1997, adidas launched the adidas Originals, a line of casual sportswear and footwear from the adidas brand that features a retro style inspired by athletic designs from the 1940s to the 1980s.

With its retro-inspired designs, it also significantly shaped modern streetwear. The brand’s ability to combine heritage with contemporary style has made it a favorite among fashion enthusiasts.

Adidas recently even celebrated how the Superstar, one of the most important shoes in its history, went from sports to hip-hop culture and into fashion.

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Cantina — adidas Originals

What happens when you put David Beckham, Noel Gallagher, Ian Brown, Snoop Dogg, and Daft Punk in the same room? What if that room is the Cantina from Star Wars: A New Hope? And what if you recreate the scene using these cameos and a few more?

Well, adidas did it! Just before the 2010s World Cup, adidas created this campaign and aired it during the tournament.

By the end of that quarter, their profit was $167 million, up from $12 million the same quarter the year before. Sales of the Jabulani ball and team kits boosted the profit.

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Adidas — Your Future is not Mine

In 2016, adidas launched a new line of shoes, which included the NMD_ and the .COM. In this commercial, they brought in influencers such as the blogger Aleali May, the designer Design Butler, the photographer Ikea, and many others.

With the ad, they wanted to break the news cycle that the world was becoming a worse place. For that, they wrote a song with the same name as the campaign: “Your Future is not mine.”

🤯 Fun Fact: The song was so popular at the time, and they received so many requests to publish a full version of it that they invited the producer Illangelo—Grammy winner and producer of the Weeknd — to produce it. It was listened to over 2 million times on Spotify.

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The campaign was so successful that _NMD sold 400 thousand pairs, .COM sold out immediately and the website crashed on the day they were launched. 

In Taiwan, there were riots in the stores on the day the shoes were launched!

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Adidas ended up selling $100 million more than expected, and to this day, it is the biggest launch in its history.

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Wrap-up

“Just do it” and “All in”

Nike’s “Just Do It” and adidas’ “All In” are more than catchy slogans—they represent powerful philosophies that resonate far beyond their products. 

These slogans embody determination, inclusivity, and pushing the limits, turning them into rallying cries for athletes and everyday people alike. 

Adopting this mindset to your brand can help you achieve great things, regardless of your industry and size. Avoid overthinking and trying to be perfect; give all you have to be great.

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Collaboration and placement

Nike and adidas have invested the big guns to create some of the most successful collaborations of any industry. Beyond the big budgets and global campaigns, collaboration is a powerful tool available to brands of any size.

You don’t need to sponsor world-famous athletes or be featured in blockbusters to make an impact!

By partnering with local influencers, supporting grassroots events, or placing products in indie films and smaller media, you can create meaningful connections without overspending. The key is relevance—working with people and communities that align with your brand values can drive growth just as effectively as a major ad campaign.

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Creativity over $$$

Creativity has also never been more accessible. With smartphones, affordable cameras, and endless digital tools, brands today have many opportunities to craft engaging content on a budget.

The possibilities are endless, whether it’s shooting a behind-the-scenes video, telling your brand’s story, or creating a viral moment. The focus should be on thinking outside the box, using what you have, and staying agile in your approach to content creation.

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Don’t get stuck! Reinvent your brand!

Nike and adidas have shown the importance of reinvention!

What started as sports shoemakers has evolved into brands shaping the fashion and lifestyle industries. They’ve shown a willingness to be more than just the products they sell. 

Ask yourself: Is your brand open to reinventing itself? Can you expand your vision and offer something greater than the goods or services you currently provide?

Staying flexible, adaptable, and ready to evolve can be the difference between a brand that stagnates and one that thrives for decades.

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Wrapped up by the sound of Daisy Feat. Joseph of Mercury — Your Future is not Mine