Adidas teamed up with Dick’s Sporting Goods for an MLB Playoffs inspired Snapchat video game which is the first to enables users to both play and purchase products directly through the app.
Launched in late October to coincide with the Playoffs and World Series, ‘Baseball’s Next Level’ is a home-run derby style game playable within the image-messaging app created to engage Snapchat’s young audience (which is so difficult to reach through traditional media).
The game combines play with e-commerce by giving players a chance to buy products they see featured in a gamified experience.
Adidas created the game in harness with developer AvatarLabs and the game’s style leverages the current retro gaming trend of 1970s and 1980s style eight-bit graphics.
Adidas matched this retro style by creating limited-edition cleats inspired by those early video games which can be bought in-game.
The Adizero and Icon V styles, which retail in-app for $130, have eight-bit patterns and up arrows on their heels’ pull tabs to represent advancing/levelling up in these types of video game.
Plus the shoes have different styles for each MLB player featured in ‘Baseball’s Next Level’: these stars include Aaron Judge, Carlos Correa, Alex Bregman, Justin Turner and Kiké Hernandez.
Think you can hit more dingers than us?
Pick your favorite #teamadidas athlete & swing away. Retweet this with a photo of your high score & keep your DM's wide open.
— adidas Baseball (@adidasBaseball) October 7, 2019
The game is also is available on a dedicated microsite at http://adidasbaseballsnextlevel.com/ where consumers can also buy the eight-bit cleats.
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This campaign follows on from previous Adidas’ Snapchat innovations: in 2018 the sportswear brand sponsored an augmented reality lens that for the first time let mobile users virtually try on shoes.
By simply tapping on the Adidas logo in the app’s menu bar activated the AR experience, which starts with an unboxing video before letting people choose to see more information or try on the virtual shoes.
Neat. @adidasUS on @Snapchat pic.twitter.com/tMVPY9K2jP
— Russ Caditz-Peck (@RussCP) November 27, 2018
While rival Nike has also been active on Snapchat in recent months as it seeks to expand its app-based e-commerce revenue.
In May 2019, Nike sponsored its first shoppable Snapchat Lens for apparel as part of its campaign around the US Soccer Women’s National Team.
The image-messaging app’s AR feature enabled supporters to dress selfies in virtual US soccer jerseys with Nike’s ‘Just do it’ slogan and enabled them to tap their phone screens to virtually try on the jerseys and visit Nike.com where they could buy authentic team merchandise ahead of the tournament (see case study).
Adidas is steadily upping its marketing investment in the gaming space: in August 2019, the German based sportswear giant added eSports star Tyler ‘Ninja’ Blevins to its endorser stable.
Adidas has steadily become more active in the gaming space as it seeks to engage younger consumers who are more accessible through contemporary, non-traditional communications and marketing channels.
Parent company Snap says that 75% of US consumers aged 13 to 34 are active on its app, while according to Newzoo, eSports revenue is forecast to rise 27% to $1.1bn in 2019 driven by advertising, sponsorship and media rights revenue in the competitive video gaming space.
Indeed, 67% of Americans aged two and older play video games and 90% of those people use a mobile device for gaming – according to NPD Group.
Links:
Adidas Next Level
http://adidasbaseballsnextlevel.com/
https://www.youtube.com/user/adidas
https://www.facebook.com/adidas
https://www.instagram.com/adidas/
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