Top 5 Adidas Ads and Secrets to the Brand’s Success
5.00/5Throughout the years, Adidas ads have featured infamous actors, legendary athletes, singers, and many more. These TV commercials were used to promote Adidas equipment and at the same time to increase brand awareness and connection with the audience. We’ll discuss some of the best Adidas ads in this article.
The 5 Best Adidas Ads
#1: Impossible is Nothing – Muhammad Ali
In one of his famous speeches, the legendary boxer Muhammad Ali said:
“Impossible is not a fact, it’s an opinion, impossible is not a declaration, it’s a dare, impossible is potential, impossible is nothing”.
The last words of this quote proved to be the ideal message Adidas wanted to spread. Muhammad Ali’s words inspired the most successful marketing campaign in the history of Adidas.
It’s no surprise that this well-known commercial leads the ranking. The 2004 commercial shows not only Muhammad Ali himself but also some of the greatest athletes of the period, including David Beckham and Zinedine Zidane.
Much like the rest of the Impossible is Nothing ads, the voice over is inspired by Muhammad Ali’s quote as well:
“Some listen to themselves instead of listening to what others say, they are not easy to find, but when they do appear, they remind us that if you propose something, the criticisms make you doubt, it is good to believe. That there is no I can not, I do not dare or impossible, they remind us that it is good to believe that nothing is impossible”.
This unforgettable commercial gave Adidas something to compete with the sports marketing giants, especially Nike.
#2: Muhammad Ali VS Laila Ali
This one was an amazing result of the new technologies, retrieving images of Muhammad Ali’s real-life matches to face the infamous boxer against his daughter, Laila.
Laila Ali, who also was a professional boxer at the time, greatly contributed to the promotion of the slogan Impossible is Nothing.
Advertisements have become more and more technological advanced in the past few years and companies have sought out more and more advertising agencies to help them create emotionally impactful campaigns such as this one.
#3: David Beckham
David Beckham is considered one of the prominent figures of the 1990’s soccer world. He had appeared in lots of TV ads but the 1998 Adidas commercial was one of the most eye-catching.
The minute-long commercial focuses on how the Englishman followed his life-long dream to reach the highest levels.
#4: Take the Deal, Dare to Create
In 2019, Adidas launched a campaign to promote their new boots as well as their soccer brand, Adidas Football. As a part of their campaign, they produced a commercial featuring the most popular soccer players, which resulted in something unique and special.
The ad creates a sci-fi feeling, which is only strengthened by the upbeat music. The likes of Gareth Bale, Paul Pogba, Lionel Messi, and Mohamed Salah deliver the message of the ad: Take the deal, dare to create!
#5: Your Future is Not Mine
This 2016 commercial carries an idea especially significant for the younger generations. Using this ad, Adidas Originals decided to remind both millennials and Gen-Zs that their future is theirs to create.
The powerful ad featured Daisy Hamel-Buffa’s track which was created for Adidas. The track helps produce that “we’re in this together” feel that’s so important for the message Adidas wanted to send.
History of the Two Adidas Brothers
The company was first founded as Gebrüder Dassler Schuhfabrik in 1924. You may or may not have heard of the dispute between the founding brothers, Adolf and Rudolf Dassler, which led the latter to create a rival brand – Puma.
If it’s the first time you’re hearing this, you might think the story sounds a bit like a fictional scenario, but I can assure you that’s the truth: The two brands were founded by brothers.
The first years were a great success for the company, with the legendary athlete, Jesse Owens, winning four gold medals at the 1936 summer Olympics using Dassler footwear. The brand went through dark times during world war II, but it already had gained the attention of a broad audience.
Even though they overcame the hardships of the war, the Dassler brothers failed to resolve conflicts in their relationship. Rudolf established Puma in 1948, and a year later Adolf named his brand Adidas, merging his nickname, Adi, with the first letters of his last name.
Three Stripes Company
The three stripes, which are a part of Adidas’ identity, weren’t something Adolf Dassler came up with. It turns out a Finnish sports enterprise called Karhu used it before. Adidas bought the branding from the Finnish in 1952 for a relatively cheap price.
The famous three stripes are seen on each logo Adidas ever had. It became a mark of the company’s identity. The three stripes have been used on the clothing and shoes of the brand for decades. Even Adi Dassler himself referred to Adidas as “the three stripes company”.
The original trefoil logo was used until 1997. The three parts of the trefoil symbolize the three parts of the world where one can buy Adidas’ products: The Americas, Europe, and Asia. The stripes stand for the variety the brand is offering. Currently, this logo is used for the Adidas Originals line, which focuses on sports apparel.
The history of Adidas is filled with several family disputes, leading the company to severe financial problems by the end of the 20th century. During that time, Nike took over the market.
It was evident that Adidas needed successful advertising. Their focus should have been to create something appealing to the audience. They needed to keep up with new trends and to start including some of the most popular athletes in their ads. And guess what? That’s exactly what Adidas did.
How Adidas Increases Brand Awareness Using Ads
It’s not all about featuring famous athletes in the commercials. Adidas makes ads that contain meaningful, authentic stories and use great storytelling. Their ads don’t simply promote boots or shoes. They promote ideas that are relevant to modern society, they sometimes point out global problems and generally contain positive messages.
Creating a bond with the audience is essential, and Adidas is able to achieve this goal with its commercials.
For example, the entire Impossible is Nothing campaign is dedicated to celebrating the people who see possibilities and are willing to take action. Adidas featured Candace Parker in their new Impossible is Nothing ad. Candace Parker is a professional basketball player of the Women’s National Basketball Association. That’s another example of featuring female athletes in Adidas commercials which is very important.
Adidas have also shown their interest in protecting nature. Another 2021 Impossible is Nothing ad was dedicated to ending plastic waste. The broad campaign manages to cover various important topics including humanity, sports, nature, and many more. That’s the reason Adidas commercials are the biggest secret to the brand’s success.
