Today’s youth don’t see their sports heroes as untouchable. Thanks to social media, they can hop on Insta and see what LeBron James is wearing on the way to his next game or how Simone Biles celebrates Halloween. Their heroes are closer to their real lives, and advertisers like Adidas are using sports marketing to respond to their perceptions.
In this post, we’ll take a look at some of the elements that factor into the most successful sports marketing campaigns today.
Grit and Authenticity
Brands have found that youth don’t necessarily want to stare up at the 1%. They want to see their favorite brands on people like themselves. And they desire to belong to a brand community.
We shot the New York portion of this Adidas ad, which shows an American teenager dealing with a cold daily commute. Two teens, one in London and the other in New York, playfully banter back and forth as they deal with ugly weather. What keeps them warm, dry and hip? Their Adidas jackets.
The teenagers in the ad look like everyday kids, but they have style and substance. They walk through the gritty streets with confidence. The campaign emphasizes the phrase, “Own the Elements.” The message is empowering and positive. It inspires cool determination and resonates with today’s youth.
Agelessness
But teenagers aren’t the only people who purchase athletic wear. Sports marketing aims to reach everyone who buys trainers, jackets and sporting goods.
Check out this ad by Adidas. They juxtaposed gritty street shots from a race with pastoral. Peaceful shots of an athlete training for the race. Using multiple camera angles, we see the runner from high above the treetops and then again looking up at her from the ground.
The result is the ennobling of any person who continues to strive for improvement, even when they might consider themselves “past their prime.” The voice-over at the beginning of the ad proclaims, “Age is not an obstacle, it’s an advantage.” The marketers behind this ad deliver the message that they believe in their customers, heart, and soul. What could be better?
Overcoming Obstacles
Nike recently created an ad featuring Amy Bream, a 28-year-old Nashville boxer who was born with one leg. Although very few of Nike’s customers share the obstacle of having been born with a missing appendage, many of them can relate to Amy’s voice over:
“When I was growing up, I never saw myself as an athletic person. A workout in a public gym was my living nightmare. I was extremely self-conscious, so I very much settled into, ‘Well, this is my life, this is what I can do. Stay safe in that.’ And then I realized I can make a choice of, am I gonna be scared and back away from this, or are you just gonna do it?”
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Not only can most people relate to Amy’s hesitation and self-consciousness, but her quote includes Nike’s motto: Just Do It.
The fast-paced music and impressive images of Amy working out on her prosthetic leg motivate potential customers and give them confidence that they, too, can achieve their goals.
Social Conversations
Sports marketing doesn’t shy away from the social issues people discuss around dinner tables and water coolers. In fact, in many ways, advertisements advance these conversations. Interested in conservation? You’ll appreciate Reebok’s Gigi Hadid ads, shot in a dramatic desert location. Are you a big supporter of women’s sports and girls in athletics? Adidas has your number.
The key to using social conversations in sports marketing is to keep the messaging positive. Avoid any divisiveness that could turn off potential customers.
Athletes Promoting Non-Athletic Products
Because athletes are so widely popular, they often end up promoting products that have very little to do with sports. This can be an effective way of tapping new potential customers: alerting sports fans to products they may love but haven’t yet heard about.
Luxury watches are a great example. David Beckham, Neymar, Tiger Woods, and Cristiano Ronaldo all have contracts with luxury timepiece brands. Sports fans pay a premium to wear special edition watches, such as the TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph 01 Brady Special Edition, with its blue dial (for the Patriots) and a prominent number 12 to highlight his jersey number.
Does your marketing require a new angle? Even if you sell mattresses (Simone Biles), breakfast cereal (Mary Lou Retton), or cars (Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling), you may be able to tap into the positive vibes surrounding sports marketing.
Need help with your next marketing campaign shoot? Work with us.