The Town of Bent Necks

“It is just such a fascinating story – the genesis of the sportswear industry coming from two brothers from this tiny town in Germany – it really did seem stranger than fiction.
“So for us, as documentary filmmakers, this was just such a fantastic opportunity, as it’s such an incredible, fascinating story – one we originally knew nothing about and were sure many people around the world wouldn’t know either.”
When Oliver and Blair arrived in Herzogenaurach, they found a place still marked by this bitter family divide.
“Two brothers had this successful business in this small town, but it went on to divide up the whole place. People went to different bars, different butchers, different bakers. And families didn’t even mix,” said Oliver.
“It created what has become known as the ‘town of bent necks’ – where people would look down to check which shoes others were wearing before working out if you would speak to them or not.
“Everyone knew what you were wearing. So, you ended up shopping in different places, drinking in different bars. And all this was really, really vivid and quirky – and for us, as documentary filmmakers, so appealing and tantalising.”
“Could this even be real, we thought? And yet it turned out, that the truth is even far stranger than fiction. It really did divide families. They walked around the town and literally avoided each other.”
The deeper Oliver and Blair dug, the more they realised that truth had become legend.
“Everyone’s got a different version of the history. Obviously, Adi and Rudi have since passed, so a lot of the ultimate truth died with them,” says Blair.
“And a lot of these tales are swept up in folklore and family myth. But it was fun to dive into that – to separate truth from fiction, myth from fact.”

The Brothers Who Built the Game

What they uncovered was a portrait of Rudolf Dassler that was complex, driven, and deeply human.
“We wanted to build a picture in our minds first – and then in the series – of who Rudi really was,” Blair explains.
“He was completely dedicated to what he was doing, very, very driven. But it was also important for us to explore the emotional angle, and this came out through his son Michael’s recounting of his childhood.”
Oliver adds: “ He was driven, extroverted, a salesman, the one out there marketing and pitching. Adolf, however, was more the craftsman, the more introverted one.”
But through exploring this angle, the two filmmakers ended up discovering something about the company they had never expected – that the contrast between the two brothers has continued to define the mega-brands in 2025.
“In many aspects,” Oliver says, “the DNA of both companies founded by these two outsized individuals seems to remain today, I think.”
“PUMA has, I think, a bit more charisma, a bit more swagger and flamboyance. PUMA still feels like a reflection of Rudi – bold, charming, quick on its feet.”
“Rudi, we learned, would always come in and speak to the staff. It was really important to him, and it made us think of how PUMA was a fair bit more approachable than Adidas when we started this journey – so it really could be that all this goes back to Rudi’s sensibilities and personality.”
Their differences, once the source of conflict, became the foundation for two enduring creative visions. From a family rift that left scorched earth between the brothers, a rivalry emerged that transformed not only Herzogenaurach, but the global sportswear industry itself.

The Underdog Spirit

From the ashes came a dual legacy which went on to become legend, as Herzogenaurach rebuilt itself with two factories instead of one – two families who no longer spoke, and two companies that would define modern sport.
PUMA became the smaller but quicker sibling: sharper, more rebellious, and proud of being underestimated.
That same underdog energy still seems to pulse through the company today, argue Oliver and Blair.
“From the very beginning, PUMA felt incredibly warm and welcoming. And it made us think – maybe that’s the difference: being the smaller company, kind of feeling like the challenger.”
“They have a smaller budget than the competition, and so they play smarter. They do things that are probably unique because they think, ‘We don’t have the budget, but what have we got? Well, we’ve got energy, we’ve got attitude.’”

The Underdog That Became the Mighty Wildcat

“It’s unfair and wrong to imagine PUMA as chasing Adidas,” says Oliver. “They’re carving their own lane. They’ve done it from the beginning – looking for opportunities on the fringes, taking more risks.”

“And PUMA has, I think, this strong sense of warmth and energy, and they really wear this badge – this underdog badge – with pride.”
Blair adds: “Their size makes them dynamic. They may be smaller, but they are faster, more agile – and perhaps hungrier too!”