Jan 14 2012
World Cup 2010: Stripes vs. Swoosh
2010 World Cup, Stripes versus Swoosh
Futbol fans worldwide were focusing on the Spanish versus the Dutch during the largest and most watched sporting event in the world, the World Cup 2010 final in South Africa. But in the world of corporate sports marketing, all focus was on who’s strategy could be considered the victorious – a battle exacerbated by the extravagant, yet opposite campaigns launched by Nike and Adidas.
Aside from sponsoring individual countries and teams throughout the tournament, Nike and Adidas’ campaigns differed greatly. Adidas shelled out huge sums to become the official sponsor of the World Cup. After partnering with FIFA to be the official sponsor, Adidas supplied of the controversial Jabulani ball for the tournament, which has sold 13 million.
Despite Adidas’ investments, Nike caught the attention of consumers with their creative three minute “write the future” add, that starred several Nike sponsored players, and aired during the Adidas sponsored final.
***Write the Future advert
Was introducing this add during Adidas’ event a form of ambush marketing? Maybe so, but the massive returns both companies saw post World Cup overshadowed the issue of ethics during the event.
Defined as: any unauthorized association by a corporation with a team, individual or event without paying sponsorship fees in respect to that association, ambush marketing can be considered unethical or brilliant. Regardless of how it is perceived, Nike created huge amounts of hype for their brand, while paying only a fraction of the sum Adidas paid to bear the word official.
In contrast to Adidas’ investment strategies, Nike sponsors individual players at major sporting events and throughout club football seasons. Household names such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney and Africa’s own Didier Drogba sport the swoosh when they perform.
So which company’s strategy is more successful for increasing their market value? Only time will tell, while sports branding junkies like myself can enjoy the ongoing saga.
*** Adidas new All In Campaign (featuring Messi, Becks, Katy Perry, Derrek Rose, Music by Justice)