Adidas chases Olympic glory

The China campaign, which walked away with the country’s first ever Cannes Gold Lion, pivots on the idea that China’s Olympic hopefuls are coming to the Games with the entirety of the nation behind them - a theme which needed adaptation for advertising outside the mainland.

“It was a challenge to be true to the spirit of the China campaign when combining it with the regional, inclusive  approach of the International Olympic Committee,” said Celine del Genes, director of brand marketing for Asia-Pacific at adidas.

“The regional campaign was able to be a more subtle expression of the idea of athletes being strengthened by the support of fans because of the higher levels of sports integration in the societies [outside China],” she added.

Although primarily targeted at Japan, Korea and Taiwan, the regional campaign will also run in markets across Southeast Asia and Australia.

The work was created by TBWA\Tequila Hong Kong and TBWA\180, headed by ECD Mark Ringer. Carat handled media planning and buying.

The campaign will run across print, out-of-home, point-of-sale and online. The digital element of the campaign aims to showcase the work of supporters by encouraging fans to upload images of their favourite athletes.

The ads feature images of six athletes, with three medal contenders drawn from the target markets and three from the rest of the world.

Although much of the current competition in the sports apparel industry comes from hybridised lifestyle fashion brands, adidas chose to stay true to its athletic roots.

“We wanted to express adidas’ Olympic heritage without going back to historical events,” said del Genes.

“This is reflected in the simple aesthetic of the work, as well as our emphasis on strong print media placement.”

The campaign launches as adidas opens its largest global flagship store, in Beijing. The store marks the first time that adidas will ofer products from both of its divisions - Sport Performance and Sport Style - under one roof. 

The new shop also allows for deeper interaction, through features such as a coaching zone, where consumers can utilise professional training technologies. Other elements include a dedicated ‘urban’ area for exhibitions and events, and a rooftop basketball court.