A reinvented classic, adidas have released the 'Telstar 18', the official match ball for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. Inspired by the first ever adidas match ball - the 1970 Telstar.
Remastering an institution from the archives and paying sweet homage once more, the official match ball for Russia 2018 follows on from adidas' new World Cup kits in throwing things back while looking forward. Packed with more innovative tech than ever, the ball lands with a brand new panel design and also features a NFC to enable greater digital consumer interaction. Going through extensive testing, the likes of Real Madrid and Manchester United all helped in the development of the ball.
The original 'Telstar' was the ball used in the 1970 tournament which was hosted in Mexico and was dubbed as 'the star of television' as it was designed specifically to stand out on black and white television and is widely seen as a football that changed the design approach that has gone into producing the tournaments match ball for each occasion. Taking the best from the forefathers, the ball is an evolution from the heavily praised Brazuca, the official match ball of the 2014 World Cup and has been engineered further to maximise performance. Aesthetically, a brand new panel design has been met with a metallic print execution and the textured graphics allow for an all round tactile experience that shines with stern minimalism.
Adidas has a commitment to creating sustainable product and the Telstar 18 is no exception as elements have been introduced such as re-cycled packaging to ensure it's a progressive product as well as one that can maintain elite performance.
Much talk will of course be around the embedded NFC tech as it's the first time the technology has been used in an official match ball. Taking the prize of one of the most innovative and tech conscious match balls to date, the chip will enable consumers to engage with the match ball using a smartphone - we can only assume similar to the way the adidas miCoach SMART BALL worked. Upon interaction, each ball generates a unique identifier, unlocking exclusive content and information for the user. The personalised and location-aware experience displays specific details of each ball and provides access to challenges which users can enter in the run-up to the World Cup. A sound way to weave new technology into the game, it's a notion that will turn heads and naturally spur intrigue.
Hitting the pitch when the tournament kicks off in June 2018, it's the jewel in the crown for adidas as they take the centre spot once more for football's showpiece event. While it may be one more match ball to add to the collection, it's a fresh chapter for the game and another marker in history.
