After a series of 20 films, Adidas brings the current phase of its ‘Ready For Sport’ series to a close with a spot called The Anthem.
Narrated by South African rugby icon Siya Kolisi, the 60-second spot is the culmination of the Ready for Sport story so far and the film sets out to inspire the global sports community – to spark and spread joy and optimism for what lies ahead.
“Sports might not be the answer right now, but it teaches us that impossible challenges must be faced and overcome,” says Kolisi, who himself made history as the first black test captain of the Springboks and a man who led his nation to the Rugby World Cup crown in 2019.
“Now that sport is back, we can’t waste this chance. We should be playing with more heart and more fire, because nobody knows what the future holds. Opportunities will come, and we must be ready”
Kolisi’s own journey – from growing up in the impoverished township of Zwide to captaining the national team and winning his sport’s ultimate title – embodies adidas’ belief that sport has the power to change lives.
The final spot in this striking, pandemic series opens with a bold line admitting that sport might not be the answer the right now, but it will bring communities together, An Adidas ambassador montage – revolving around emotion, dedication and exhilaration – features stars such as Paul Pogba, Noah Lyles, Caroline Dubois and Candace Parker in action and showcasing the optimism and excitement that sport can bring to elite and every day athletes alike.
Of course, while sport is returning to screens around the planet, live spectators remain largely absent. So, to coincide with the release of ‘Ready for Sport: The Anthem’, adidas has also launched an immersive ‘Ready for Sport: Face Filter’ on Instagram to enable fans to relive the live sport experience virtually by putting them (virtually) inside the stadium to hear the crowd noise and soak up the atmosphere again by closing their eyes.
The filter goes live on @adidas Instagram from 17 August until 7 September.
“With the world thrust into the unknown, sport has been the one constant, fuelling people with joy and optimism. We brought our community together with a positive outlook through workouts, and a series that humanizes our sports icons by offering unprecedented access into their hearts and minds,” commented Adidas VP Of Brand Communications For Global Brand Florian Alt
“Now, we want to inspire our community to get back in the game, master their craft and play like never before. We chose Siya to narrate the film because his story serves as a reminder that sport has the power to bring hope, and he is the true embodiment of how maintaining focus can lead to greatness.”
The campaign was created for Adidas by its lead strategic and creative agency Iris where the team included Executive Creative Directors Henry Scotland and Rachid Ahoiuyek, Creative Director Gabi Mostert, Creative Eve Anthony, Designer David Missen, Strategy Director Rory Natkiel, Managing Partner Nico Tuppen, Group Account Director Simone Botherway, plus Agency Producers Annabel Singer and Emily Hendrey.
The production company was POPs Production with Director Gabi Mostert, Editors Kevin Palmer, Andy Sowerby, Jamie Rathbone, Iain Finlay, Adam Beasley and Danny Carlyle, with post production by POPs Production and audio post-production by GCRS.
Comment:
Launched back in April (see case study) as athletes began facing up to the unprecedented challenges of the pandemic, the campaign has involved more than 3,000 athletes and artists to support the hearts, minds and bodies of the global sporting community.
Links:
Adidas
https://www.adidas.co.uk/hometeam
https://www.youtube.com/user/adidas
https://www.facebook.com/adidas
https://www.instagram.com/adidas/
Iris
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