adidas has launched the evolution of its brand philosophy ‘Impossible is Nothing’ with a global campaign that encourages everyone to take their first step in reaching their impossible. More than 30 international sports stars, including the likes of Sachin Tendulkar, David Beckham, Lionel Messi and Yelena Isinbayeva, tell their ‘Impossible’ stories using their own hand-drawn illustrations and paintings.
For the campaign, each athlete chose a defining moment in their life and then illustrated it through images and words which would later be combined to create the campaign. The campaign will launch this month with a globally integrated execution on television, on-line media, retail points and outdoor. In all, there will be 21 TV commercials, 15 documentaries, 1 long-format film, behind-the-scenes footage, large-scale outdoor, and exclusive digital content to be found on www.adidas.com. In India, the campaign rolls out on March 18.
“With this campaign we get a glimpse of the athletes not at the finish line, but rather at a pivotal point in their journey,” explained Eric Liedtke, senior vice president, Global Brand Marketing, adidas. “When you witness the victory, the end result, it is not always clear how they got there or what they had to overcome along the way. By sharing the journey and, more specifically, a challenge that was encountered along the way, we get to a place that is truly inspiring.”
“This campaign extends our philosophy of Impossible is Nothing to a personal level, encouraging everyone to overcome their personal challenges that seem impossible. At adidas India, we are particularly excited about Sachin Tendulkar being featured in the campaign. With Cricket World Cup fever already on, it would be great for Sachin’s global fans to hear his impossible story from him,” said Andreas Gellner, managing director, adidas India.
Consumers will see the creations in commercial films, posters, books, documentaries, exhibitions and even clothing designs. In film, digital, and retail content, the athletes’ real-life experiences come to life through animated films and static images.
Highlights include Sachin Tendulkar relating his Impossible is Nothing story from the days when he trained under Achrekar Sir in Mumbai; David Beckham telling how he braved death threats from fans after the 1998 FIFA World Cupä; All Blacks rugby legend Jonah Lomu talking about the challenges he faced when told of the possibility of spending the rest of his life in a wheelchair; and US basketball star Gilbert Arenas explaining the reason he wears the number 0 on his shirt.
