In the latest sportswear battle, Adidas is attacking their opponents in a unique way. Instead of preaching the benefits of their products like most companies tend to do, they’re pitching themselves as the brand for creative athletes. Meanwhile, Nike is sticking with what they know and going after the basketball market.
INTENSE NEW ADIDAS AD CALLS OUT NIKE FOR NOT BEING CREATIVE
The 2016 NFL season has kicked off and along with it, Adidas’ huge new campaign. In their intense advertisement, the company pitches themselves as the brand for creative athletes. According to them, it’s not just about hard work and training. Instead, they suggest it takes some sort of individuality to achieve greatness in sports.
Upon watching the ad, it’s easy to see how Adidas is going right after competitors like Under Armour and Nike for being “cookie-cutter”. In the beginning, we see hoards of these athletes in a gray, bleak environment. Suddenly, one breaks the mold as the commercial’s voice calls upon its audience to unleash their creative flow. While the ad has sparked a lot of interest, others say it’s a bit too close to Nike’s latest campaign.
NEW ADIDAS CAMPAIGN RESEMBLES THAT OF NIKE
While Adidas’ ad continues to generate substantial buzz, some are looking back at Nike’s Rio Olympics commercial. The whole concept of the ad is “unlimited you”. The sport starts off with seemingly average people achieving greatness. As the narration grows in the background, the intensity of the achievements increases and eventually, ultimate success is found. Essential, the ad is about athletes going all out, pushing their limits and breaking the mold. To Nike, the sky is the limit.
While both commercials are certainly different in comparison, the message seems to be the same. Adidas thinks that athletes today are boring. That there is some singular characterization that is preventing them from being true athletes. Perhaps they should focus more on street artists than athletes. Sports are rigid. There are certain rules. Unchangeable rules. Sure, you can be creative to a certain extent but there are limits. Street artists can create something entirely unique in the realm of art. Athletes, however, can only create so much in the realm of sports. While the campaign is an inspirational one, it’s rather unrealistic. What Nike and Adidas need to do is stick with what they know best.
NIKE SHOULD STICK TO BASKETBALL AND ADIDAS TO SOCCER
These two creative ads by Nike and Adidas are entertaining at first. But what they really represent is a last ditch effort to branch out. It’s funny that both companies mention “breaking the mold” and “reaching for the top”. Neither Nike or Adidas has done either of those things in years. They remain a success, not because of something new and exciting, but because they are popular, established brands in their given fields.
Young basketball players will seek out a pair of Nike shoes simply because their idols wore them. Adidas, on the other hand, has dominated the soccer/football markets for decades. That’s unlikely to change and for whatever reason, they feel the need to target a new market. Sports have never put creativity before the performance, yet these commercials seem to imply that. This is not some art form. It’s a physical game. The fact that these two giants of their respective fields are reaching out of their limits speaks to their current state. Are they actually trying to make an inspiring message or just desperate for new avenues of business? Whatever it is, it looks weird and unwarranted. Let’s see if this newfound approach actually works out for them.
