Rosé and Jennie: Competing Brands, Emerging Rivals?

It is common for brands to team up with idols in order to increase their presence in the idol culture market. These collaborations can take the form of group contracts or individual agreements. However, it is highly uncommon for former partners to switch to endorsing competing brands, which is currently the situation with BLACKPINK’s Jennie and Rosé.

PUMA recently signed Rosé, approximately one week after the announcement of a new campaign by Adidas featuring Jennie, titled CLOT Gazelle.

Surprisingly, PUMA and Adidas have been competitors since they were first founded, which is further intensified by the fact that the founders were brothers. Adolf (Adi) Dassler and Rudolf Dassler initially collaborated in creating a shoe company called “Dassler Brothers Shoe Factory.” However, due to their distinct personalities and conflicting business ideologies, they eventually went their separate ways in 1948. Adolf went on to establish Adidas, while Rudolf started afresh with PUMA.

Despite their ongoing competition, Adidas and PUMA have both formed partnerships with members of BLACKPINK. As a result, fans often compare the impact of these two girls as they proudly represent their respective brands.