In 1947 Rudi left to form Puma. In 1948, Adi created "adidas",NHL Jerseys; from his own name and in 1949 introduced the "Three Stripes" logo, forming adidas AG in August 1949. Adidas studded soccer boots, later called "World Champion," helped Germany win the 1954 World Cup. Present at major sporting events, Adidas was among the first to use athletes for brand promotion.
At the 1936 Berlin Olympics, Jesse Owens won four gold medals in Dassler shoes. By 1937 Dassler was producing 30 different shoes for 11 sports, with almost 100 employees. Hitler co-opted factories for war work; Dassler's factory produced tank-busting rockets. Post-war, the occupying Americans were among Dassler's largest customers.
In 1989, French investor Bernard Tapie bought adidas with borrowed money. The company incorporated, but remained family-owned. Tapie moved production to Asia and brought in Madonna as a celebrity spokesperson. In 1991, adidas EQUIPMENT launched, offering apparel and footwear. Adidas sponsored the 1992 streetball tournament, helping turn streetball into a recognized sport. Unable to pay his debts, Tapie had his bank sell adidas. Crédit Lyonnais converted his debt into adidas equity, Robert Louis-Dreyfus became manager and in 1993 bought adidas from the bank. In 1994 adidas launched the adidas Predator Cup (and the Predator shoe) to find young soccer talent. Adidas took Kobe Bryant under its wing and went public in 1995.