70 Products Tell 70 Years of Company History
In 2019, adidas celebrated its 70th anniversary, and our History Management Team was at the very heart of the festivities. Leading this project filled me with both humility and pride; we wanted to play a defining role in a truly spectacular celebration.
Our strategy involved several key activations: two exhibitions—one of which was a completely new concept located in the foyer of our employee restaurant—and a special exhibition within our Brand Exhibition dedicated to 70 years of corporate history. Simultaneously, we collaborated with studio waldeck to develop a film series titled “70 Years of adidas.” For this, we selected 10 iconic objects per decade from the archives that represented the brand’s diverse product and athlete history. These films were released weekly over the seven weeks leading up to the anniversary to build momentum and anticipation.
We also uncovered a “hidden gem” in our video archives: a historic film featuring rare footage of Adi Dassler, the original production sites, and legendary athletes like the German National Football Team (DFB), which we showcased for the very first time. The greatest challenge was the conceptual design of a second permanent exhibition, which we developed with d’art design and simple. As a central hub on the corporate campus, this exhibition served as the stage where the adidas Executive Board and honorary guests officially opened the anniversary celebrations during our big employee festival.
3 Key Learnings:
- Seize the Moment: Making brand history tangible and accessible is vital. When opportunities or physical spaces arise, you have to grab them with both hands.
- Archival Magic: Successful creative concepts must transport content while preserving the unique charm and “magic” of the sacred archival halls.
- The Power of the Unknown: Narrating hidden treasures, untold stories and new perspectives through historical storytelling is fascinating to audiences—both internally and externally.