A Friendly Game to Bury the Hatchet
In 2009, workers at both Adidas and Puma decided to organize a special symbolic gesture to try and bury the hatchet after all those years of disputes and competition: they organized a friendly soccer match to be played by various workers and higher-ups at each brand.
Jochen Zeitz (L), chairman of German sports equipment manufacturer Puma and chairman of Adidas AG, Herbert Hainer, sit before a football match between employees of Puma and Adidas in the southern German city of Herzogenaurach on September 21, 2009. The sporting event ‘Peace one day’ is the first event by both companies since their split more than sixty years ago. AFP PHOTO DDP / TIMM SCHAMBERGER GERMANY OUT (Photo credit TIMM SCHAMBERGER/AFP/Getty Images)
The bosses of both businesses, Herbert Hainer for Adidas and Jochen Zeitz for Puma, participated in the game. The ball they used was specially made and printed with the logos of both companies, and both of their logos could be seen on their jerseys and the pitch as well. It was a nice way to show how times had changed.