#Adidas Tells Young Footballers to #Unfollow #Messi
 |
| YouTube |
The ad itself features a well sourced collection of some of the best tweets and general social media shoutouts about Messi, even making a point of the fact that Google autocompletes 'Messi is' to 'Messi is not human'. It doesn't any more, 'is a God' tops the list now. It might seem like a bit of a gutsy move by Adidas, but the focus is more on the principle of the idea, rather than just getting everyone to unfollow him, which would indeed be utterly suicidal.
Football is perhaps the most grass-roots sport there is, it looks just as at home on the streets of Barcelona as it does on the Camp Nou turf. Brands inside and outside of sport have always tried to reflect that with their advertising, but Adidas are taking it a step further here by steering fans away from social media and towards a more active life.
The overall popularity of Adidas has been flagging for a while now, but news recently broke that they were pumping much more time and energy into their sales and distribution, as well as planning a series of bold new advertising strategies. One of these involves bring together its most successful football clubs - Manchester United, Chelsea, Juventus and Real Madrid - under a single banner: #BeTheDifference.
Much like the Messi initiative (which can't really cross over, given he plays for Barcelona), it's focused around encouraging consumers to help shape the brand. Well known partners are already being granted more creative control in how they promote the company, and a lot more focus is being afforded to key cities like London and Paris (which will also put Adidas directly into Nike's crosshairs).
It will be interesting to see how this campaign plays out, since social media is such an instrumental force in sport advertising. It still plays a part in this, but once again it's about user-generated content, about giving people an active role in the campaign, rather than just being passive consumers.
Callum Davies
Callum is a film school graduate who is now making a name for himself as a journalist and content writer. His vices include flat whites and 90s hip-hop. Follow him @CallumAtSMF
#Adidas Tells Young Footballers to #Unfollow #Messi
Reviewed by Unknown
on
Sunday, August 23, 2015
Rating:
Reviewed by Unknown
on
Sunday, August 23, 2015
Rating:
Unknown
Keeping you up to date on social media, digital marketing, apps, news & reviews. Social media, and digital marketing as a whole, are rapidly and constantly changing, adapting to new developments at an ever increasing rate. Just keeping up to date can be a nightmare. Our team of writers know their field, and keep an ear to the ground. We aim to keep you informed of all recent developments in the online world, and teach you a little something along the way. So whether you just want to stay connected, or gain some knowledge for yourself, the Social Songbird will keep on singing! More articles are posted every day so keep checking back! Join the discussion on Twitter - #SocialSongbird Or contact us directly - @SocialSongbird_
Entrepreneur, international speaker on Social Media Marketing. First one in the UK to write and speak in conferences about Twitter as a marketing tool. Consultant to Corporate Companies, Government Organizations, Marketing Managers and Business Owners.
Aspiring novelist with a passion for fantasy and crime thrillers. He hopes to one day drop that 'aspiring' prefix. He started as a writer and soon after he was made Executive Editor and Manager of the team at Social Songbird. A position he held for 5 years.
Adrienne is a passionate writer with experience in editing, content creation, and social media marketing. She’s a lover of animals, helping others improve their writing, and 2000s pop culture.
Musician, audio technician, professional tutor and a Cambridge university English student. Interested in writing, politics and obsessed with reading.
Recently graduated with a BA in English Literature from the University of Exeter, and he is about to study an MA in Journalism at the University of Sheffield. He is an aspiring journalist and novelist; in his free time he enjoys playing chess, listening to music and taking long walks through nature.
Lucy is an undergraduate BSc Politics and International Relations student at the London School of Economics and Political Science.
Anna Coopey is a 4th year UG student in Classics at the University of St Andrews in Scotland. She is a keen writer and researcher on a number of topics, varying from Modern Greek literature to revolutionary theory.
Ellie is a recent BA English Literature graduate and aspiring publisher with a passion for writing. Her favourite pastimes include reading and shopping.