Competitors beyond mere business, Adidas and Puma have taken the rivalry to the pitch. That is, the football pitch. But what a difference six decades make. This time, they came in the name of peace. The sportswear giants have shaken hands to play this football match.
In a historic undertaking, and as a symbol of friendship, Adidas and Puma played football together—forming two teams composed of mixed staff from both companies. The two companies literally joined forces in support of Peace One Day (POD) last September 21 to raise awareness for POD and the necessity of peaceful co-existence. Beyond stoppage time.
Adidas and Puma will also introduce the campaign through surprise half-time highlights at Bundesliga matches in the stadiums in Munich, Stuttgart and Köln.
The two sportswear brands from Herzogenaurach, Germany were both founded by brothers Adi and Rudolf Dassler, respectively. In the 1920s, the two brothers began producing sports shoes in their mother’s laundry room, eventually forming the company Gebrüder Dassler Sportschuhfabrik (The Dassler Brothers Sports Shoes Manufacturing). World War II found the two brothers estranged, however, and forming their separate rival shops in 1948. The rift has since split Herzogenaurach in two. Until September 21.
Adidas and Puma are no longer owned by Dassler descendants. The nearest the family name came to controversy was when the grandson of Puma’s Rudolf worked for both companies. Puma’s majority owner is the French luxury goods company PPR, that also owns Gucci and Tretorn. On the hand, The Adidas Group, owner of the brands Reebok and TaylorMade for Golf, has no individual shareholder that owns more than five percent (5%).
"We at Adidas are very proud to support Peace One Day together with Puma. We firmly believe that sport can bring the world together. Sport has shown this at countless occasions in the past and we are committed to the positive values found in sport: performance and passion, teamwork and fair play," said Herbert Hainer, CEO of Adidas AG.
On his part, Jochen Zeitz, Puma chairman and CEO, said, “We are uniting on this day as a commitment to Peace Day. Our common goal being that our collaboration today will help create awareness for the day. Our (companies’) unity is a small step in a positive direction as well as an expression of the united power of sport in a world which we are all responsible for."

Both Hainer and Zeitz played in the monumental football match.
