The German sportswear giant adidas launched a spot under its ongoing, umbrella ‘You Got This’ marketing platform, which aims to act as an uplifting, motivational ad to its own athlete ambassadors competing at the Paris 2024 Olympics and to all athletes out there facing up to the pressures of sport.
Created in harness with agency TBWA\Neboko, the spot follows a group of adidas athlete endorsers – including sprinter Noah Lyles, marathon world record holder Peres Jepchirchir, Turkish swimmer Sümeyye Boyaci, Brazilian skateboarder Felipe Gustavo and BMX Freestyler Kieran Reilly – as they face up to and deal with the pressures they face.
The film, which is aptly set to Under Pressure by Queen and David Bowie, aims to act as an uplifting, supportive and inspirational source of support for those taking part in sport at all levels.
Dropping on 24 July – just 48 hours before the start of the Olympics – the ad aims to drive people online to find out more about how athletes face up to and deal with pressure at http://www.adidas.com/yougotthis.
The Paris 2024 work is part of the brand’s current motivational marketing approach which emerged after brand research indicated gen Y and Gen Z feel under extreme pressure in their lives and that one in five athletes lack confidence in their abilities.
The adidas spot is more uplifting and feel good than its rival Nike’s Olympic ‘Winning Isn’t For Everyone’ campaign which plays into the negative attributes of elite athletes committed to winning at all costs.
Although, arguably, it may be less memorable.
Both approaches follow in the different strategic footsteps established earlier in the year with their EURO and Copa America 2024 campaigns like Adidas’ ‘The Football Anthem’ and Nike’s ‘Awaken Your Madness’.
The difference in approach not only sums up a current strategic split in sports advertising, but perhaps even the split in US-led, Western society.
Of course, Adidas has had its share of Olympic controversy too.
Adidas’ Olympics-related advertising proved controversial recently when the brand drew some criticism from Israel for an ad referencing the 1972 Munich Olympics which starred supermodel Bella Hadid (who has Palestinian heritage).
The brand apologised and reworked the campaign in response (removing Hadid), which then led to a further round of complaints.