Adidas — Herzogenaurach, founded 1949. €24.8B 2025 revenue. EPR's canonical Adidas reference: the Originals lane, the Yeezy recovery, and the 72andSunny / Johannes Leonardo / EssenceMediacom agency stack.
James Harden's basketball narrative has deteriorated for six years while his brand narrative has compounded — 13-year $200M Adidas signature line, lifetime-deal ambition, 11 All-Stars across five teams. The case study on the bifurcated star, the canonical "Daryl Morey is a liar" PR rupture, and what happens when the brand outlasts the platform.
The 2015-2018 Adidas surge, the PR firms behind Adidas, Nike, and Under Armour, the Yeezy unwind, and the 2023-2026 Samba and Gazelle revival that reshaped the athletic apparel category.
EPR's real-time June 2015 note on the FIFA DOJ indictment, the Zurich arrests at the Baur au Lac, Sepp Blatter's June 2 resignation announcement, and the sponsor response led by Visa.
China is in the middle of one of the most consequential sneaker booms in modern global retail. Nike and Adidas continue to dominate. Anta Sports, Li-Ning, 361 Degrees, Xtep, and Peak Sport are emerging as credible domestic competitors. Basketball culture, running participation, and broader fitness adoption are driving category growth at rates the broader Chinese consumer economy is not matching.
