adidas X and ACE

adidas unveiled its new boot silos after announcing the retirement of the famous and historic adidas F50, Nitocharge, 11pro and Predator boots. They would be replaced with two new silos: adidas Ace for the playmakers that are driven by control and adidas X for game changers that are fuelled by chaos. The idea behind this massive and radical footwear overhaul was that the game of football is changing and instead of previously defined player types or positions, adidas has identified that modern football teams nowadays need only these two types of player on the pitch.

Our objectives were to land the message of adidas leading the football revolution by establishing the two new silos which represent the change in the game and also lead the share of voice on social during the Champion League. 

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The strategy was to get into conversations with key target consumers in a one-to-one relationship and seize opportunities for intimate conversations around the two new silos, not pumping out a story or picture or piece of content to the masses, but really speaking to those true connectors, those that have the influence and will carry the brand messages. And one other particularly important element of our strategy was being open and allowing consumers to co-create content with us.

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The brand launched '#BeTheDifferenceSG', a campaign about being the difference that results in victory for the team. We sought out the two distinct types footballers - playmakers who orchestrate and control everything, and gamechangers who smash the defence and cause chaos. We made sure they are the ones who are influencing their peers; opinion leaders at an amateur and semi-pro level that all the other kids look up to and ask 'What is he/she saying, wearing, thinking, what content does he/she like or not. We then provided an opportunity for them to interact with the adidas Ace and X boots to create premium, connected and personalised experiences. In other words, they created enthusiasm and excitement about the two silos on a personal level.

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We kicked off by making an open call for the two types of players on social channels. They were asked to pick their side - playmakers or gamechangers - and share videos of their games that featured their style of play using the hashtag #BeTheDifference for a chance to be amongst the first to play in the revolutionary adidas boots, Ace and X. We then engaged with the target consumers by reposting the user-generated contents (UGC) along with responses that hero the players and product messages associated with the two silos to create awareness and buzz around Ace and X. Entries flooded in. From the entires submitted, we assembled a cast of eight playmakers and eight gamechangers based on a combination of their football prowess and social clout to build and nurture a community of advocates. The brand hosted the dramatic climax of its search for the city's best playmaker and gamechanger to coincide with the season's Champion League. At the invite-only event, the players, fitted with the adidas Ace and X, went through intense tests of technique, trick and talent and also head-to-head matches to mark their spots on the leaderboard. We captured docu-style content showcasing the players' real experiences with the adidas Ace and X. For amplification, we unleashed the players' full social media potential by equipping them with tools needed to create contents and let their voices and experiences with the boots become the backbone of each branded element of the campaign. The brand edited the contents and launched them on social media platforms just before the Champion League Final to build momentum.

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The activation racked up more than 300, 000 organic views of the playercontents from the event and more than 800, 000 views of adidas #BeTheDifferenceSG content.