The Psychology of the Three Stripes

Adidas is a very famous German sportswear brand founded in 1949 by Adolf Dassler. It is one of the largest sportswear makers in Europe, and the second in the world; most well known for its iconic three stripe logo. Adidas primarily makes running shoes, soccer cleats, tracksuits and sports clothing for athletes. Many consumers choose Adidas because of the meanings and associations attached to the brand, rather than purely functional reasons. Many aspects of Adidas’s marketing and strategies play an important role in the brand’s ultimate success. 

One key consumer behaviour principle that helps explain Adidas's success is identity signalling. This refers to the idea that consumers often purchase products not only for their functional benefits, but also for the representative value of the products itself. Adidas has become strongly associated with fitness and streetwear culture, allowing many consumers to express a more street but casual aspect of their identity through the Adidas products that they wear. For example, the Adidas Samba was originally designed as a football training shoe, but it has become increasingly popular as a fashion item among consumers who may have little interest in football itself. In this case, the product serves as more than just footwear, as it also communicates a particular fitness lifestyle or sense of style. Because of these reasons, the Adidas sambas is one of the best selling original designs of Adidas, having a total all time sale of 35 million pairs since 1949, and earning revenue of around 1.16 billion USD (gpstaff, 2018). Furthermore, the brand's iconic three-stripe logo intensifies this effect as it is easily recognisable and allows consumers to display their connection to the brand. As a result, many consumers purchase Adidas products not solely because of their performance, but because the brand helps them communicate how they see themselves and how they would like to be perceived by others. This example accurately shows how Adidas effectively makes use of identity signalling to attract consumers to their brand. 

Another principle that can be seen in Adidas's marketing strategy is social proof. Social proof happens when people look at the actions of others before making their own decisions, especially when they are unsure about what they want to purchase. Adidas has successfully used athlete sponsorships and celebrity partnerships to influence consumer behaviour (Adidas). Most famously the company has long partnered with athletes such as Lionel Messi and sponsors major football clubs around the world, such as Real Madrid, Manchester United, Fc Bayern Munich etc. When consumers repeatedly see successful athletes wearing Adidas products, they assume that the products are high quality since these athletes trust this brand enough to wear it during some of the most important moments of their lives. Another very well known example of this was Adidas's Yeezy collaboration with Ye. The partnership helped turn Yeezy into one of the most desirable sneaker lines in the world because many consumers were influenced by Ye's popularity and cultural influence. However, the partnership also demonstrated the risks of relying too heavily on celebrity influence, as after Ye's controversial public statements, Adidas ended the partnership despite expecting a financial impact of up to €250 million (Smith, 2022). This shows that social proof can be extremely powerful, but it can also become a weakness when a brand becomes too closely associated and dependent on a single individual. 

Adidas also demonstrates the importance of perception in consumer behaviour. Perception refers to the way consumers interpret information about products and brands. Over time, Adidas has built a reputation for quality, innovation, and expertise in fitness clothing, shoes and materials. The company frequently promotes technologies such as Boost cushioning and highlights its long history in making tools for professional sports. Although most consumers are unlikely to fully understand the technical details behind these innovations, they may still perceive Adidas products as being more advanced and higher quality than competing alternatives. In the example below, is the example of Adidas’s Ultra Boost shoes, advertised as the ‘Greatest Shoes to Exist’. In this advertisement they show the multiple technical changes made in the shoe that make it better than the previous designs. Although most consumers that see this advertisement wouldn’t see all of the specific ways the shoe has improved, but from the first look they can see that there are many aspects that have changed. In many cases, consumers use these perceptions as shortcuts when making purchasing decisions instead of carefully comparing every available product. This demonstrates how Adidas's reputation and brand image can influence consumer behaviour positively. For example when someone looking for a pair of good running shoes comes across the advertisement below, they might think ‘Oh, Adidas is a good brand, and this new design seems promising. I’m going to consider this shoe.’

(adidas)

Emotions also play an important role in Adidas's marketing success. Consumer behaviour research suggests that emotions often influence purchasing decisions more strongly than completely rational evaluations. Rather than focusing only on product features, Adidas frequently creates advertisements that tell stories about perseverance, determination, and achieving personal goals. The company's famous "Impossible Is Nothing" campaign is a strong example of this strategy. The campaign featured athletes and public figures sharing stories about overcoming obstacles and pursuing ambitious goals, encouraging consumers to associate Adidas with inspiration and self-improvement, and enabling them to think ‘Maybe if I get Adidas shoes, I can also beat my personal best score.’ According to Adidas, the relaunch of this campaign generated over one billion social media views and more than 18 million engagements worldwide. By creating positive emotional associations with the brand, Adidas is able to build stronger relationships with consumers that extend beyond the products themselves. Consumers often become emotionally attached to brands in the same way sports fans become attached to teams. Also, the long-running Adidas–Nike rivalry has helped keep both brands relevant and encouraged consumers to develop stronger loyalties. Some consumers identify strongly as “Adidas people” or “Nike people,” which strengthens emotional attachment and repeat purchasing behaviour. The rivalry has shaped the sportswear industry for decades and remains one of the most recognizable brand competitions in the world. 

Finally, Adidas's sustainability initiatives can be analysed through the lens of consumer decision-making. Consumer decision-making involves evaluating different options and choosing between them, often using shortcuts to simplify the process. In recent years, Adidas has placed greater emphasis on sustainability by increasing its use of recycled materials and reducing its dependence on virgin fossil-based materials (adidas sustainability report). In 2025, 60% of the materials used in Adidas products and packaging were recycled or sustainably sourced, and 99% of the polyester used in its products came from recycled sources (adidas group). For environmentally conscious consumers, these efforts provide an additional factor to consider when choosing between competing brands. When products are similar in terms of price, quality, and style, sustainability may become the deciding factor that influences a purchase. This is particularly important in Adidas's competition with Nike, where both companies offer similar products and target similar consumers. By promoting its sustainability initiatives, Adidas gives consumers another reason to choose its products beyond the performance alone. This demonstrates how brands can influence decision-making by aligning their products with values that are becoming increasingly important to consumers.

Overall, Adidas's success can be explained through several key consumer behaviour principles. The brand allows consumers to express their identities while also creating emotional connections through storytelling and influencing purchasing decisions through different initiatives. At the same time, the Yeezy controversy shows that the same consumer behaviour principles that contribute to success can also create risks when they are not carefully managed. Together, these examples show how understanding consumer behavior has helped Adidas become one of the most successful sportswear brands in the world.

Works Cited

adidas. “Adidas Unveils Ultra BOOST, the Greatest Running Shoe Ever.” Www.Prnewswire.Com, https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/adidas-unveils-ultra-boost-the-greatest-running-shoe-ever-289515281.html. Accessed 25 Aug. 2026.Adidas. “Product and Marketing - Adidas Annual Report 2024.” Adidas Annual Report 2024, 2024, https://report.adidas-group.com/2024/en/group-management-report-our-company/description-of-business-model/product-and-marketing.html. Accessed 25 Aug. 2026.“Adidas Group.” Adidas, 2016, https://www.adidas-group.com/en/sustainability/resource-center/reports. Accessed 25 Aug. 2026.GQ Staff. “Adidas Samba Shoes - Evolution of Adidas Classic Samba Shoes | GQ India.” GQ India, 20 June 2018, https://www.gqindia.com/content/adidas-samba-india-evolution. Accessed 25 Aug. 2026.“Overview - Adidas Annual Report 2025.” Adidas Annual Report 2025, 2025, https://report.adidas-group.com/2025/en/group-management-report-sustainability-statement/esrs-e5-resource-use-and-circular-economy/overview.html. Accessed 25 Aug. 2026.Smith, Elliot. “Adidas Warns of Big Earnings Hit After Ending Ye Partnership.” CNBC, https://www.cnbc.com/2022/11/09/adidas-warns-of-big-earnings-hit-after-ending-ye-partnership.html. Accessed 25 Aug. 2026