Global brand value comparison of Nike and adidas from 2010 to 2021

The brand value of Nike has increased year-on-year since 2010 and reached around 42.5 billion U.S. dollars in 2021. In comparison, the adidas brand was valued at approximately 13.4 billion U.S. dollars in 2021 – increasing for the sixth consecutive year following two years of decline.

Will there be a power shift in North America?

With instantly recognizable logos and catchy slogans, Nike and adidas are the two biggest sportswear brands, and Nike is one of the most valuable brands worldwide. Both companies are driving growth in the sportswear market worldwide, but Nike has a particularly firm hold of its home market of North America: the company generates around 41 percent of its total revenue from the region, whereas around 24 percent of adidas’ global revenue comes from North America. However, adidas has shifted some of its focus to the region in recent years in an attempt to take some share away from Nike. The German firm has exclusive partnerships with Kanye West and Pharrell Williams and increased its advertising spending in the United States to 688 million U.S. dollars in 2019.

The stories behind the logos

Nike has its swoosh; adidas has its three stripes. Those logos have become synonymous with the brands they represent, and consumers will pay a higher price to wear products with the logos emblazoned on them. The Nike swoosh was created by graphic design student Carolyn Davidson in 1971, who was paid a fee of 35 U.S. dollars. The three stripes trademark was bought by adidas from another sportswear company in the early 1950s. The design used to belong to a Finnish brand called Karhu, but they sold the logo for a small fee that included two bottles of whiskey.