Nike isn’t an official sponsor of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. That designation goes to Adidas, who paid $350 million for a seven-year deal which expires after the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. As an official FIFA top tier partner, Adidas supplied game balls (the controversial Jabulani) and has outfitted FIFA officials and refs.
They may have garnered some visibility for their efforts, but it seems like Nike has garnered buzz that’s “priceless.” Nike’s “Write the Future” campaign (mentioned here) really took off in its first phase that involved a 3-minute video promoted through social media channels.
Phase two has kicked into gear with a “Write the Headline” campaign which gives fans an opportunity to submit messages for is digital display, that can be seen across one of the largest buildings in downtown Johannesburg. A 57-character inspirational message that ‘writes the future’ of the fan’s favorite player can be submitted through Facebook or Twitter (using the hashtag #NikeFuture).
In Marketing Daily (MediaPost) story, Nike brand president Charlie Denson remarked, “Recognition and awareness of the campaign has exceeded even our high expectations… online, on the ground, and on TV around the world.”
Adidas Activity…
Recently, NYSportsJournalism did an interview Molly Maixner, brand marketing manager for adidas soccer that covered adidas’ World Cup current and future business and marketing efforts, as well as the company’s on-going activations behind soccer in the U.S. In response to a question about how Adidas is updating and keeping its messages fresh and relevant during the course of the month-long tournament, Molly said:
“We are doing that in several ways. At the adidas soccer Facebook page, for example, people can log on for continually new experiences on a daily basis based on the matches. The “Matchups” campaign lives on our Facebook page where depending on the games that day there will be new pairings of athletes as the teams compete against each other. So that runs all the way through the tournament. And if you look at our more general “Every Team Needs . . .” campaign, that targets not just soccer fans but sports fans, someone who watches Michigan football or basketball during the season and is now interested in the World Cup because it is such a large global event. So you’ll see the cross-category athletes such as Dwight Howard, Reggie Bush and Dale Jr., who are helping to incite conversations by updating videos about the World Cup, how they are showcasing their excitement for the U.S. team.
You can find the Facebook page here or just search on adidas soccer.
The rivalry between Nike and adidas is a good thing on and off the pitch as BOTH companies take their games to a higher level.
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[…] “Write the Future,” the blockbuster Nike spot created out of Wieden & Kennedy, Amsterdam, that imagines the potential future of various soccer stars should they go on to win the World Cup, took home the Film Grand Prix at the Cannes International Festival of Creativity. […]