Business partnerships and collaborations

ampersand

Discussion

• How many of the logos do you recognise?

• Do you know much about all / any of these companies?

• What's the reason behind their naming convention?

• Do you know of any other companies with this kind of naming convention?

We're going to read about two companies where partnerships turned sour.

Can you think of any famous examples?

What are some reasons why a partnership may turn into a rivalry?

Student A:

the Dassler brothers

Student b:

the warner brothers

The Dassler Brothers: From Family Business to Bitter Rivals

Adolf and Rudolf Dassler were German brothers who started making sports shoes together in their mother’s laundry room in the 1920s. Adolf, known as Adi, was the quieter and more technically minded of the two. Rudolf was more outgoing and focused on sales and business. Their different personalities seemed to complement each other, and their company eventually became successful.

The Dasslers attracted international attention when American athlete Jesse Owens wore their shoes at the 1936 Berlin Olympics and won four gold medals. Their business continued to grow, but the relationship between the brothers gradually deteriorated. The exact reasons for their falling-out remain unclear. Arguments over

business decisions, money and personal issues all appear to have played a role.

In 1948, the brothers finally decided to go their separate ways. Rudolf established a new company, which he initially called Ruda, combining the first two letters of his first and last names. It was later renamed Puma. Adolf, meanwhile, created Adidas, combining his nickname, Adi, with part of his surname.

The rivalry between the two companies soon became intense. The dispute was not limited to business: it affected the entire town of Herzogenaurach, where both

companies were based. Local people were reportedly divided according to which company they supported, and even their choice of shoes could reveal which side they were on.

The brothers never managed to repair their relationship. When Rudolf died in 1974, Adolf did not attend his funeral. Adolf died four years later.

The Warner Brothers: Building Hollywood Together — and Fighting for Control

Harry, Albert, Sam and Jack Warner were four brothers who helped create one of the most powerful entertainment companies in the world. Born to a Jewish immigrant family in the United States, the brothers entered the entertainment business in the early twentieth century, initially showing films in small cinemas before moving into film production and distribution.

In 1923, they established Warner Bros. Pictures. The brothers had different personalities and responsibilities. Harry was the company's president and was heavily involved in business and finance. Albert generally dealt with the company's finances,

while Sam and Jack were more closely connected to production and the creative side of filmmaking.

Their biggest breakthrough came in 1927 with The Jazz Singer, widely regarded as the first feature-length film with synchronised dialogue and singing. The film helped establish talking pictures and transformed the movie industry. Warner Bros. grew rapidly and became one of Hollywood's major studios.

However, success did not make the brothers' relationship easier. They frequently disagreed about money, control and the direction of the company. Sam, who had

had played a crucial role in developing the studio's early sound technology, died suddenly in 1927, just before The Jazz Singer was released. His death deeply affected his brothers.

The remaining brothers continued to work together, but their disagreements became increasingly bitter. Jack, the youngest, was particularly frustrated by Harry's control over the company. In 1956, Harry and Albert agreed to sell Warner Bros. without Jack's knowledge. When Jack discovered what had happened, he reacted angrily and eventually gained control of the studio.

Now summarise what you've read for your partner

Things to include:

1. when and where was the company founded?

2. what was the company's breakthrough?

3. when and why did things start going wrong?

4. what happened at the end?

Discussion

• How much did you know about these stories beforehand?

• Have you heard of Jessie Owens or The Jazz Singer?

• In general, how dangerous do you think it is to go into business with your sibling(s), your friend(s), your spouse?

Partnership in business goes well beyond co-founders.

Take a look at some famous brand collaborations below.

How many do you recognise?

Do you know much about these collaborations?

Nike and Michael Jordan

In 1984, Nike signed a young basketball player named Michael Jordan in a partnership that would transform both the sportswear and basketball industries. The first Air Jordan shoes were released in 1985 and became an immediate cultural phenomenon. Jordan brought his sporting reputation and personal image, while Nike provided its design, manufacturing and marketing expertise. The partnership eventually developed into the separate Jordan Brand, which became one of the world's most recognisable sports brands.

Adidas and Kanye West

Adidas and musician Kanye West began working together in 2013, after West had previously collaborated with another sportswear company. Their partnership produced Yeezy, a range of trainers, clothing and accessories combining Adidas's technical expertise with West's distinctive fashion sense. The Yeezy Boost 350 became particularly successful, with demand far exceeding supply for many releases. Adidas described the partnership as a way of bringing together its technical capabilities and West's creative vision.

Audemars Piguet and Swatch

In 2026, luxury Swiss watchmaker Audemars Piguet teamed up with the much more affordable Swatch to create the Royal Pop collection. The collaboration combines the distinctive octagonal design of Audemars Piguet's famous Royal Oak with Swatch's colourful Pop aesthetic. The result is a collection of eight mechanical pocket watches made partly from Swatch's Bioceramic material. The collaboration attracted enormous attention, with thousands of people queuing at stores and some launches becoming chaotic.

Diet Coke and The Devil Wears Prada

For the release of The Devil Wears Prada 2 in 2026, Diet Coke joined forces with the film for a fashion-themed marketing campaign. The partnership fits the film particularly well because its fictional fashion magazine and demanding editor, Miranda Priestly, are associated with luxury and style. Diet Coke appeared as an integrated brand in the film and was also promoted through special products and experiences outside cinemas. The collaboration allowed the film to reach Diet Coke's huge audience while giving the drink a fashionable new image.

Discussion

• Do you own (or have you ever owned) any Nike Air Jordan products?

• Yeezy trainers: yay or nay? Have you seen anyone wearing them? Any idea why this partnership stopped?

• Do you find it strange that a lux watch company would collaborate with a cheaper one?

• Does Diet Coke really need to be advertised?

Now listen to a marketing expert talking about the unconventional collaboration between Sex and the City and Apple.

Answer the questions as you listen.

1. What is the name of the main character in Sex and the City and what was her job?

2. How was this different from a conventional collaboration?

3. What three reasons are given for the success of the collaboration?

Sarah Jessica Parker as Carrie in 'Sex and the City'

Credit: Everett Collection

Discussion

• How familiar are you with this show?

• Did you know about this product placement?

• Do you think it was a happy accident or a case of genius marketing?

• Some people find product placement highly unethical. What are their reasons? Are they justified?

And finally for some collabs that ran into some problems. Welcome back, Ye!

Look at the slide below. Do you recognise the collabs? Do you know what went wrong?

Kanye West × Adidas Yeezy rollout controversies (post-collab collapse)

Initially one of the most successful sneaker collaborations ever.

Later collapsed due to Ye’s public statements and behavior, forcing Adidas to terminate the partnership.

Left Adidas with billions in unsold inventory and legal/ethical PR damage tied directly to the collaboration.

Uber × Spotify “soundtrack your ride” (2014–2017 rollout issues)

Technically innovative, but poorly received in practice:

Many drivers didn’t want passenger-controlled music.

Compatibility issues and inconsistent adoption made the feature feel broken.

Target × Missoni crash (2011)

Massive demand for the limited designer collection.

Target’s website crashed for hours, inventory sold out within minutes, and many customers couldn’t purchase anything.

Resulted in lawsuits and refunds due to system failure during the collaboration launch.

Supreme x Vuitton pop-up rollout issues (2017)

Extremely hyped collaboration, but:

Pop-ups (temporary shops) were shut down or restricted in multiple cities due to crowd control problems.

Long queues, reselling chaos, and security concerns led to cancellations of public access.

It became a case study in “hype overflow” exceeding retail logistics.

Apple × U2 forced album rollout — consumer trust damage

Album was automatically added to ~500 million iTunes accounts.

No clear opt-in created a perception of digital intrusion.

Apple had to release a removal tool and apology campaign.

Discussion

• How many of these had you heard of before?

• Supreme x Vuitton and Target x Missoni failed because the idea was simply too popular. McDonalds has had similar problems before. Is this a good problem to have?

• What on Earth was Apple thinking? Was it obviously an awful idea?

• What do you think of the Uber x Spotify idea? Seems like it should work, no?

• In retrospect, Adidas made an error by working with Kanye West / Kanye / Ye / Yeezy. Should they have known better at the time?