Adidas Introduces a New Kind of Athlete

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When you picture a woman athlete today, a particular description may come to mind. You may think of the words strong, empowered, determined and full of potential. A woman who will go extra lengths to reach her goals and keep moving through any obstacles that may come her way. More recently, the sports marketing industry has been celebrating women athletes through campaigns based on these attributes. Take for example, Under Armour’s #IWillWhatIWant campaign or Nike’s #betterforitcampaign.

 

 

In order to further connect with women, Adidas is introducing a different element to the conversation about what makes women athletes so great: creativity.

 

“We think the idea of using creativity to reimagine and reshape yourself however you want will really resonate with women because when you look around the world, that’s what so many women in sport are already doing,” explains Jason Norcross, partner and executive creative director at ad company 72andSunny.

 

The global campaign, titled “I’m Here to Create,” includes a series of videos told through some of today’s most influential and accomplished female athletes. Included are international tennis icon Caroline Wozniacki, WNBA All-Star Candace Parker, DJ Hannah Bronfman, street athlete Robin Arzon and fitness artist Nicole Winhoffer, among others.

 

 

Through these women’s stories and lifestyles, Adidas hopes to use the concept of creativity to bring recognition to the changing traditional views of sports and to focus on the versatility of the female athlete.

 

Each woman in the campaign embraces her creativity to accomplish something all in the name of sport. Candice Parker redefines motherhood to maintain her training schedule, for example, and Wozniacki uses non-traditional forms of training to keep her sharp on the tennis court. These women are redefining what it means to be an athlete – on their own terms. And Adidas seems to be harnessing the concept and energy at the perfect moment.

 

According to Nicole Vollebregt, the head of women’s at Adidas, in 2016, the brand will continue to “roll out women-focused activations, partnerships, products and events” to engage and further connect to the powerful consumer demographic. We look forward to seeing how this campaign, and Adidas’s forthcoming efforts this year, will contribute to the conversations around female athletes. Will other sports companies follow the gendered suit? Or will the women-focused venture simply be a small drop, affecting a select demo, with few ripples among the larger industry? Time – and no doubt a bit of female sportsmanship – will tell how this ad game plays out.