Dreaming Together

It might look like that we at the Reel have a slight penchant for writing about Mr Dassler and his three stripes and some would call us biased… however the boys and girls at 180 Amsterdam have created another neat campaign that warrants a little more than a few lines of prose.

So we thought we would write another little feature on the blighters!

The new project titled ‘Dream Big’ sees the world’s biggest influential football stars mixing with the world's smallest and most inconsequential teams and continues the tradition of showcasing elite level athletes alongside real people – inspiring them to go further.

The emphasis shifting from the obvious obtuse choice of UEFA EURO 2008 to lesser known football teams is a welcome one and allows adidas to demonstrate that they care about the little people as much as they do about the big money / fanfare events.

180’s campaign aims to show us all that anyone can ‘Dream Big’ no matter their ranking, as Kaka, Messi, Gerrard and Beckham are sent out on missions to Andorra, San Marino and the Isles of Scilly. Here the mega stars set out coaching local teams whose reputations are in the doldrums and in doing so evoke the adidas mantra ‘impossible is nothing’.


180 worked with youth teams in each of the three locations to take part in what they thought was a straight forward documentary about football – and were totally unaware of the professional players involvement. The surprise element led to some charming and real moments between the players and the aspiring kids.

San Marino is one of the lowest ranked teams in Europe and is treated to a coaching visit from Kaka, Xabi Alonso and Robin Van Persie. The second location in the series sees adidas stars sharing their knowledge in the world's smallest football competition. Just two teams make up the isle of Scilly league and the young players there could use some outside help. Much to the surprise of locals and young players alike a few world renowned players turn up to lend a hand and give some valuable insight.

In the third location a bunch of talented Juniors from Andorra set off on a road trip of a lifetime to the Spanish capital of Madrid. Uber-pro help arrives in the form of Jose Mourinho (tickled by the idea of helping the 179th ranked country in the world) who involves them in a special coaching session with the future of Andorran football before sending the boys off on their journey. They are joined by Lionel Messi, David Villa, Lukas Podlski and Arjen Robben, and the journey of a lifetime climaxes in a packed Santiago Bernabeu Stadium.

Another great example of a fearless idea executed with charm and polish subtly fortified by great direction from Johan Kramer, Marco Grandia and Richard Bullock respectively … Sports brands take note!

adidas

Adidas is a name synonymous with youth culture, sporting excellence and urban cool. It has been the chosen apparel of some of the greatest athletes in the world and has also been the subject matter of many a hip hop legends lyrical content. But the unassuming beginning’s of the sporting giant is a story that has not been explored by the brand during its lifespan, and is now the focus of its latest TVC and impending anniversary.

The legacy that the diffident Dassler brothers have left is a mighty one. There humble beginnings in a kitchen produced a sports giant that still is the only real rival to Americas sporting hulk that is NIKE. Aolf (Adi) Dassler was originally trained as a baker and began to produce his own sports shoes in his mothers wash kitchen after his return from world war I. Enlisting the help of his brother Rudolf (who later went on to found another sports behemoth – PUMA) they worked to equip several athletes with their newly designed spiked running shoes at the 1928 Olympics. After several victorious runs from athletes (notably the American Sprinter Jesse Owens) wearing the adidas footwear, the foundation for the international expansion of the company had been set.

Early adidas TVC’s lacked the street smarts of the modern brand image that we have grown accustomed too, and as you can see here – are fairly hilarious.



But fortunately for the awkward CEO Horst Dassler, this was all about to change. Cue the eighties and the birth of Hip Hop, adidas was about to be given an injection of street cred that it never had before. The four pillars of the discipline: Breakdancing, Graffiti Art, MCing and DJing all demanded that you be rocking a fresh pair of sneakers. Most sportswear brands were adopted by Hip Hop devotees, but only one would have a fetishistic ode lyrically illustrated at length by the legendary trio Run DMC.



So adidas had captured the attention of a cultural movement that would define a generation, whilst maintaining its sporting roots at the same time. This was a solid base to build upon and the next twenty years saw adidas solidify its hardcore sports image whilst maintaining its musical and cultural capital at the all important street level.





Even the last couple of years has seen adidas snatch another attempt at being immortalized in another musical movement with UK grime artist J2K and loudmouth chav Lady Soverigns impetuous endorsement / single ‘hoody’.





This week saw the launch of 180 Amsterdam and Stink’s new execution ‘Adi Dassler’ which takes the brand away from brash artist / athlete endorsements and instead focuses on the man who made it all happen in the first place. As a tribute to Dasslers innovative nature and history, this sparkling little animated piece adds a touch of fairytale to the ongoing adidas story.
For a look at adidas commercials throughout the years, click here.