Adidas has launched ‘All In, Or Nothing’, the core global campaign within its FIFA World Cup activation, with a new 60-second TV spot fronted by Lionel Messi (and featuring a new Kanye West track) called ‘World Cup Dream’.
In addition to the Barcelona and Argentina super star, the spot features several other adidas player ambassadors including Luis Suarez (Liverpool and Uruguay), Dani Alves (Barcelona and Brazil) and Bastian Schweinsteiger (Bayern Munich and Germany).
All of whom appear in training hard for the tournament and disturbing Messi’s troubled dream.
After linking up with Kanye West in December 2013, this ad also marks the first time the rapper has written and recorded a new track specifically for adidas marketing activity.
The TV ad broke during the half-time commercial break of the UEFA Champions League final between Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid.
During the Champions League Final itself adidas, the official partner of both UEFA and FIFA, simultaneously used its GamedayPlus Command Centre to curate in-game moments, collate match stats and fan content, plus highlights from its experiential zones in Lisbon alongside feedback to the new World Cup advert.
This central, global Brazil 2014 campaign – arguably the fourth strand of adidas’ World Cup work following ‘I Am Brazuca’, ‘Battle Pack’ and ‘Fast Or Fail’ – represents the biggest global marketing push in the sportswear giant’s history.
While the spearhead spot links to adidas’ ongoing World Cup work, it does so on an ‘opt in’ basis.
The spearhead spot, directed by City of God’s Fernando Meirelles, ends with two buttons (‘All In’ and ‘Nothing’).
While those watching the ad online who click on ‘All In’ will receive all of adidas’ World Cup content through the tournament, those opting for ‘Nothing’ will find themselves blocked out of further Brazil 2014 adidas communication, social media activity and CRM initiatives.
Indeed, Adidas has shot more than 100 pieces of film content to use as the tournament unfolds and these will be released to those who opt in via Twitter and email.
These films have been created in response to likely/possible World Cup scenarios and events and will be rolled out in low latency and in real time.
Of course, depending on what actually happens, some of them seem destined never to be seen, while others may go viral around the world.
Developed by TBWA, the ad rolls out almost a month after Nike’s global blockbuster ‘Risk Everything: Winner Stays On’ work (see case study), the wider campaign’s media spend is reported to be in excess of £50m.
‘This ad presents the ‘#allin or nothing’ attitude by showcasing the dedication and commitment required to winning this great tournament. Giving anything less than everything will not win the World Cup,’ said Adidas global brand marketing director Tom Ramsden.
‘We are incredibly proud of this film and the entire ‘all in or nothing’ campaign. At Adidas, we believe the only way to play sport, unlock your potential and get the most out of the biggest event in sport, is to be “all in”.’
Comment
This opt-in tactic reflects adidas’ focus on quality engagement and permissive interaction, rather than a simple eyeball-led, quantity-focused approach.
Comparisons between adidas official TV ad and Nike’s ambush spot are an inevitable aspect off World Cup (and Olympic) marketing.
This new blockbuster spot suggests Adidas has learnt from its 2010 World Cup experiences, where its flagship campaign, whilst visually impressive, was seen by many as being overly complex and as being overshadowed by Nike’s epic ‘Write The Future’ ambush film.
Indeed, in terms of YouTube view, it looks like Adidas Brazil 2010 flagship spot will give Nike’s ad a run for its money.
Rival Nike’s ‘Winner Stays On’ ad was released on 25 April and which has since racked up 67.5m YouTube Views), while Adidas’ spot has garnered 30m views in just a few days.
While Nike’s approach is a little more light-hearted, Adidas has opted for an edgier, tighter and altogether more serious tone.
Yet, some may feel there is too much similarity between the two rival campaigns. Not least because both revolve around a similar theme – ‘Risk Everything’ and ‘All In, Or Nothing’.
Of course, it today’s real time, event response engagement environment, which brand triumphs at the tournament won’t be known until after the World Cup finishes.
But adidas has been fairly clear about its underlying objectives.
The company is targeting €2bn (£1.6bn) from its football sales this year – as it looks to offset recent declines across several key markets and categories (group sales fell 6% year-on-year to €3.5bn (£2.9bn) in the latest quarter).
Links
Adidas Football YouTube
http://m.youtube.com/user/adidasfootballtv
Adidas Football Tumblr
http://adidasfootball.tumblr.com/#!/home
Adidas Football Twitter
https://twitter.com/adidasfootball
Adidas World Cup Campaign Twitter Hashtag
#AllIn
Adidas Football Website
http://www.adidas.com/football
Adidas Football Instagram
http://instagram.com/adidasfootball
