Ahead of this summer’s Euro ’24 and Copa America tournaments, adidas has united some of its global stars for the brand’s latest campaign, which continues its ambition to help disarm negative pressure in sport. But further than the message, the ad also gives us a sneak peak at some upcoming adidas products…
A big part of the hype surrounding international tournaments always comes from TV ads in the build-up, with brands flexing their star power and bringing together dream teams to rival the Galacticos of the early 00s. And so it is now, with adidas bringing together the likes of Lionel Messi, Jude Bellingham, Florian Wirtz and more for its latest campaign, which aims to show what is possible when managing the weight of expectation.
The idea behind the campaign’s angle comes from research that shows that players are three times more likely to miss a penalty when playing for their nation as opposed to their club. It aims to inspire next-gen athletes to overcome pressure and instead use it as fuel. The ad is narrated by David Beckham – who probably knows a thing or two about pressure, to be fair – and set against the melody of Queen ft. David Bowie’s iconic Under Pressure, the film reminds players – whether competing as defending champions or making their tournament debut – to reframe pressure and focus on the positive rallying cry ‘You Got This’ as they walk onto the pitch at this year’s biggest football tournaments.
As well as the powerful message though, there’s also some treats for the keen-eyed amongst us. In the film Dembele and Santi Jimenez debut a new and unreleased colourway for the adidas F50 football boots, which will be seen on the pitch at the UEFA Champions League Final before lighting up the summer of football. It’s likely part of the Three Stripes’ pack for the summer, which will also feature the Predator 24 and COPA Pure 2.
Then there’s Jude Bellingham. It looks like football’s current golden boy is set to be rewarded for helping propel the Predator 24 to incredible heights, with adidas providing him with his first signature line. In the ad, the England midfielder is wearing his first piece of signature adidas apparel, a premium high necked track top in patriotic colours and personal detailing, from the ‘JB Originals’ range, which is set to launch in the coming months. It offers up a first look at the star’s new signature ‘JB’ logo, which is positioned on the left chest.
Speaking around the new campaign, Bellingham said: “When you first play for your national team, it comes with a higher level of pressure and one you have to adapt to quickly. From playing at a high level at such a young age, I’ve learnt pressure is more of a responsibility, it can be hard to play under pressure. The advice I live by is when the feeling of pressure arrives, you have to remember why you’re playing, for me, going into this summer’s tournament I’ll remember that I play for the love of the game and bring the feeling of pressure into the fold to push me to reach the highest level I can.”
Speaking on the next chapter of the brand campaign, Florian Alt, VP of Global Brand Comms at adidas said: “We want to celebrate and support our players ahead of a huge summer of football as they continue to inspire the up-and-coming generation of athletes. This campaign serves to remind us all that pressure can be felt at any level, no matter the accolades or achievements. Our ambition remains to help disarm negative pressure in sport and encourage elite and grassroot players to reconnect with what ignited their love for the game. We hope our rallying cry, ‘You Got This’, invites athletes of all levels to overcome pressure and achieve their personal possibilities in sport.”
Watch this space for more news on the new adidas boot pack...