Revolutionizing Sports Marketing: The 2018 FIFA World Cup and adidas

• Sales & Marketing

The FIFA World Cup is one of the most significant sporting events globally, and adidas, as the lead global agency, faced the challenge of standing out amidst the noise of other sports brands. The conventional approach of creating a celebrity-studded affair was not enough to make a significant impact. The challenge was to create compelling content that would 'own the internet' on the day of publishing and overshadow any mention of a rival brand. The content needed to resonate with the audience and create a significant social impact.

The customer in this case study is adidas, a multinational corporation that designs and manufactures shoes, clothing, and accessories. As the lead global agency for adidas Football, the company was responsible for creating a unique and impactful marketing strategy for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. The goal was to create compelling content that would not only resonate with the audience but also overshadow any mention of rival brands. The content was designed to 'own the internet' on the day of publishing and create a significant social impact.

The solution was to create a series of compelling adidas 'content drops' that focused on human insights and truths about some of the tournament's hottest players; Gabriel Jesus, Mo Salah, and the Spanish Federation (RFEF). The content highlighted the personal stories of these players and the impact of football on their lives. For instance, Gabriel Jesus' story focused on the change in his life since the 2014 World Cup, when he was painting the streets of his local favela. Four years later, a giant mural was painted on the streets of that same favela for him. The content also enlisted the talents of two of football's greatest living icons; David Beckham and Zinedine Zidane, which kept football fans and media across the globe glued to their screens.

• The innovative marketing strategy resulted in a significant increase in visibility and engagement for adidas. The compelling content resonated with the audience, leading to a significant increase in views and a growth in adidas' share of voice. The personal stories of the players and the impact of football on their lives created a strong emotional connection with the audience. The strategy also resulted in a significant increase in adidas' total turnover and online sales, demonstrating the effectiveness of the approach. The use of digital platforms and services, along with sports marketing, proved to be a successful combination for adidas.

• 69 million views on the content
• 30% growth in adidas SOV in less than 24 hours with the Mo Salah film
• 4% rise in adidas' total turnover to €5.26Bn, with €3.2Bn coming from shoe sales