Building Player Hype through IoT: A Case Study on Adidas' World Cup 2022 Campaign

Adidas, a soccer-first sports brand, faced a significant challenge in the run-up to the World Cup 2022. The company aimed to make Weston McKennie, Gio Reyna, and Jesus Ferreira the most recognized athletes in the US Men's National Team (USMNT). However, in North America, Adidas' competitors were leading partners of the USMNT and several of their athletes. The challenge was to reach fans where they frequent most, which is social media, and extend the reach even further to inspire local communities. The goal was not only to increase the visibility of the athletes but also to engage new fans and the next generation.

The customer in this case study is Adidas, a multinational corporation that designs and manufactures shoes, clothing, and accessories. It is the largest sportswear manufacturer in Europe and the second-largest in the world. Adidas is a soccer-first sports brand, but in North America, its competitors are leading partners of the US Men's National Team (USMNT) and several of their athletes. Despite this, Adidas aimed to make Weston McKennie, Gio Reyna, and Jesus Ferreira the most recognized athletes in the USMNT for the World Cup 2022.

Adidas came up with a unique solution to this challenge. They created a hero film, a docu-interview style footage intercut with shots of a street artist bringing the athletes to life in a giant mural. This approach allowed fans to learn about the players by hearing from the people the players represent on the pitch. To extend the reach beyond social media and inspire local communities, Adidas created custom murals for each athlete in their community. These murals featured QR codes that linked directly to the hero films. This innovative approach gave Adidas the opportunity to further their reach and engage new fans and the next generation.

• The campaign was a significant success, with the hero films and murals effectively engaging fans and the wider community. The use of QR codes on the murals was a particularly innovative touch, allowing Adidas to extend its reach beyond social media and directly engage with local communities. This approach not only increased the visibility of the athletes but also helped Adidas to engage new fans and the next generation. The campaign's success is evident in the impressive number of video views, impressions, and media coverage it generated.

• Video views: 2.25 million
• Impressions: 924 million
• Pieces of Media Coverage: 18