Brand celebrity endorsement has become nowadays an inescapable step in the creation and success of a unique brand identity. Companies choose celebrities to represent their brand in advertisings or diverse official events. This practice exists in many sectors. Celebrities then must embody the brand and become real promotors and ambassadors, with often long-term and very contracts of million dollars. Many are those who lend their face to the three stripes brand. Since decades, Adidas used to associate its image to celebrities, models and sportive. As a risk or an advantage, the brand then become aligned with the celebrity’s image, reputation and acts.
Lionel Messi, the famous football player playing in the FC Barcelona is probably one of the strongest and most powerful contracts that Adidas have signed. The multi-awarded Ballon d’Or player sign, in 2017, a life-contract that worth more than $12 million a year. He is admired by millions of fans all around the world. This is a smart choice from Adidas because Lionel Messi not only represents a discipline, but a real talent in football world, and above all an entire generation of sport’s passionate.
Adidas also signs a 10-year contract with the French and very popular football player Paul Pogba. As part of his contract with Adidas, he creates a yearly capsule collection including a limited shoes collection Predator 20+ with its initials inscribed on. Moreover, he must wear this pair of shoes during some of the matches. This is a clear revindication and exploitation of the collaboration, as Adidas take advantage of the popularity and the good reputation of the player.
Paul Pogba Predator 20+ shoe
In 2018, the three stripes brand signs an 8,5-million-dollar contract with Naomi Osaka, the Japanese tennis player champion. Signing this contract with her allowed Adidas to enjoy its big notoriety and having a high visibility during matches, and in the sports industry all around the world.
Naomi Osaka Adidas campaign
Adidas is willing to be present in every discipline and all around the world. In 2015, they welcome the Australian swimmer Kyle Chalmers who won several Gold medals.
“We look forward to accompanying him throughout his career, in and out of the pool” - Jim Latham, Adidas Senior Director Sports Marketing.
In 2019, Adidas gathered David Beckham and Zinedine Zidane in an advertisement on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the Predator shoe. The top-level influence of these two football legends was a clever choice from Adidas that combined sport, influence and authenticity with these two celebrities. David Beckham and Zinedine Zidane had been for a long time Adidas’s ambassador since they were involved in several campaigns with Muhammad Ali and many others, notably in the “Long Run-Impossible is Nothing” advertising in 2004.
David Beckham and Zinedine Zidane campaign for 25th Anniversary of Adidas Predator shoe
Moreover, in 2017, David Beckham appeared in a new collaboration with Adidas to relaunch the iconic Predator Mania football shoe.
David Beckham for Adidas Predator Mania shoe
Adidas likes collaborating with athletes and high-level sportive who reflects both performance and success, but they do not stop there as they also have many collaborations with celebrities from every fields, from singers, to models.
Among these brand ambassadors, there is the famous US singer Pharrell Williams that released in 2014 a collection of Stan Smith and Superstar track jackets and in 2020 a Football & style collection for famous football clubs including Bayern Munich or Manchester United.
In 2016, the international model Karlie Kloss was chosen to represent the collection Adidas x Stella McCartney.
“[She] is an example for all sporty women worldwide” - Adidas
In 2017, the model Kendall Jenner, who got 81 million followers on Instagram, became a brand ambassador of Adidas. She teased the collaboration by sharing a photo of herself wearing an Adidas shirt as a child. Adidas chose people who authentically loves adidas, and who will embody the brand naturally and in their day-to-day life.
“A longtime fan of the brand, Kendall embodies the spirit of Adidas Originals as a creative force shaping the world today by challenging the status quo in her very own way,” – Adidas
One year later, her sister Kylie Jenner endorsed Adidas’s Falcon collection.
“Falcon is inspired by the Falcon Dorf, an iconic model from the ‘90s: its bold and unapologetic DNA is at the core of today’s Falcon and reflects the confident mindset of a new generation of female creative consumers.” – Adidas
By the way, their brother-in-law Kayne West launched in 2013 its successful collection of YEEZY shoes in collaboration with Adidas and henceforth is a real brand ambassador for the three stripes brand. In January 2020, Beyonce collaborated with Adidas to create Ivy Park x Adidas collection which combines Beyoncé's unprecedented style with unisex pieces for promoting inclusion, in accordance with the Adidas DNA. These co-brandings are also a kind of brand endorsement for Adidas, because the brand will be associated to another and in these cases, to their founders because they are unreasonably famous.
Ivy Park x Adidas collection
Manushi Chhillar, the Indian Miss World 2017 also entered in the Adidas family in 2020.
“Manushi is an inspiration for many young women who aspire to break barriers and aim for the stars. She has made the entire country proud through her journey, and we take pride in welcoming her to team Adidas. At a time when the nation is seeking constant motivation and inspiration, we want to encourage everyone to adopt fitness activities and continue to believe in the power of sport.” – Adidas India
Adidas is also the official sponsor of some of official sportive events. At the occasion of the Euro 2016, Adidas provided the football shirts of 9 teams, as well as balloons, arbitrator outfits and advertising panels. They also republished actions of its ambassadors including Paul Pogba and Gareth Bale wearing Adidas’s outfits on social media such as Twitter or Instagram.
Euro 2016
Adidas always choose wisely its ambassadors, in order to touch every discipline, every profile, in every country. Sportive and celebrities inspires fans and sport-lovers worldwide and represents Adidas DNA during official events or make the promotion of the brand on social media. It offers visibility and credibility to Adidas. These celebrities have millions of fans, who want to look like them, and will buy Adidas products just because they are worn by their idol. Having prestigious ambassadors are one of the key success of a brand as long as they carefully chose them, because they will be associated and if there is a negative publicity around the celebrity, it can have an important impact on the brand’s reputation, and vice-versa. In the meantime, brand endorsement has made his proofs and is one of the key components of Adidas’s communication and branding strategy.
References:
- Web Picks. Adidas website. Retrieved from https://www.adidas-group.com/en/
- Adidas: Everything you need to know about the brand. Highsnobiety. Retrieved from https://www.highsnobiety.com/tag/adidas/
- Dricot, A. (December 16, 2019). Beyonce x Adidas : ce qu’on sait de la collab’ mode la plus attendue de 2020. Marie Claire Belgique. Retrieved from https://marieclaire.be/fr/beyonce-adidas-collaboration-2020/
- Martins, M. (June 4, 2020). Adidas names Manushi Chhillar as its new brand ambassador. Fashion Network. Retrieved from https://in.fashionnetwork.com/news/Adidas-names-manushi-chhillar-as-its-new-brand-ambassador,1221139.html
- Naomi Osaka devrait signer le plus gros contrat d'Adidas avec une sportive — et cela pourrait faire d'elle l'une des athlètes les mieux payées du monde. (September 12, 2018). Business Insider. Retrieved from https://www.businessinsider.fr/naomi-osaka-devrait-signer-contrat-avec-adidas-2018
- Paul Pogba hérite d’une nouvelle Predator pour sa 7ème collection capsule. Foot Pack. Retrieved from https://www.footpack.fr/141988-paul-pogba-herite-dune-nouvelle-predator-pour-sa-7eme-collection-capsule
- Petit, G. (August 22, 2016). Adidas, Nike & Puma : qui a gagné la bataille des équipementiers pendant l’Euro 2016 ? YouGov. Retrieved from https://fr.yougov.com/news/2016/08/22/adidas-nike-puma-equipementiers-euro2016/
- Race, R. (November 16, 2015). Adidas signs young aussie sprinter Kyle Chalmers. Swim Swam. Retrieved from https://swimswam.com/adidas-signs-young-aussie-sprinter-kyle-chalmers/
- Spies, S. (May 31, 2017). Kendall Jenner is the new brand ambassador for Adidas Originals. Fashion Network. Retrieved from https://ww.fashionnetwork.com/news/kendall-jenner-is-the-new-brand-ambassador-for-adidas-originals,833527.html
- Zinedine Zidane et David Beckham réunis par Adidas pour les 25 ans de la Predator. (March 5, 2019). CNews. Retrieved from https://www.cnews.fr/sport/2019-03-05/zinedine-zidane-et-david-beckham-reunis-par-adidas-pour-les-25-ans-de-la-predator
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