Bellingham, Beckham and Messi ‘under pressure’ from Adidas
Adidas goes into Euro 24 as probably the strongest-performing sports brand of the moment, with revenues up 8% in the first quarter, bringing a confidence that is reflected in this new film from TBWA London.
Starring players including Jude Bellingham, Lionel Messi, Ousmane Dembélé and the ubiquitous David Beckham (who also narrates), it’s all about the pressure that footballers feel whether they’re playing for their country or their local team. The soundtrack is, of course, “Under pressure” by Queen and David Bowie.
Florian Alt, VP global brand comms at Adidas, said: “We want to celebrate our players as they continue to inspire the up-and-coming generation of athletes. This campaign serves to remind us all that pressure can be felt at any level, no matter the accolades or achievements. Our ambition remains to encourage elite and grassroot players to reconnect with what ignited their love for the game. We hope our rallying cry, ‘You got this’, invites athletes of all levels to overcome pressure and achieve their personal possibilities in sport.”
There’s a quote from Bellingham too: “The advice I live by is when the feeling of pressure arrives, you have to remember why you’re playing, for me, going into this summer’s tournament I’ll remember that I play for the love of the game and bring the feeling of pressure into the fold to push me to reach the highest level I can.”
It’s a very watchable film, mainly thanks to Jude Bellingham’s presence. Might be time for Beckham, who has a lifetime deal with Adidas, to take more of a sporting back seat and focus on beer, whiskey, watches, clothes, crisps, cars, delivery services, etc.
MAA creative scale: 7