inside front cover

UNIVERSITY OF HUDDERSFIELD

School of Art and Design Department of Design

Why and How the Sportswear Industry uses Popular Music to Promote Itself

A case study of adidas Originals’ Spring Summer 2010 Campaign

Juliet-Ann Akobundu

A Case Study submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for BA (Hons) Fashion, Media and Promotion

Module THD 1038 Creative Industries Professional Case Study

The candidate confirms that the work submitted is their own and that appropriate credit has been given where reference has been made to the work of others.

The University of HuddersfieldSchool of Art & DesignDepartment of Design

HuddersfieldWest Yorkshire

ENGLAND

(8.02.2011)

The relationship between fashion and music is a cultural phenomenon that has

developed over the past couple of decades into a global marketing phenomenon.

However, research surrounding the commercial relationship between fashion and

music is scarce; this case study examines the commercial relationship between

fashion and popular music by drawing on these cultural influences and applying it

against post-modern marketing techniques. adidas has an outstanding track record

of relating with popular music culture thus making it the perfect reference point to

gain a deeper understanding of the relationship between fashion and popular music.

This case study aims to gain a deeper understanding of how sportswear brands use

popular music to promote themselves by analysing the adidas Originals Spring

Summer 2010 campaign against attempts by Tommy Hilfiger (90s) and Reebok

(2000s) to tap into popular music culture. It focuses especially on the issues of

authenticity and brand communities and concludes that success in using popular

music lies in tapping into the consumers’ emotional values for the brand, building

strong brand communities that incorporate the popular music influences that the

target markets can relate to.

Abstract

Acknowledgements

Many people have assisted me in so many different ways in conducting this case study. I

would like to first and foremost thank God for giving me such an opportunity to be part of

something so great and seeing me through till the end.

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank everyone at adidas UK Global Sports Style

division for giving me the opportunity to be part of the team on my placement year; the

event that inspired this case study – Paola Lucktung, Pam Lucktung, Akua Agyemfra, Bobby

Liu, Laura Coveney and Justin Cader who have all been more than helpful.

My family for their continued support both financially and mentally; my sister, Ify Akobundu

for agreeing to proof read each chapter at odd times of the night. Uzor Okonji, my partner

in crime, for continuous encouragement and for staying up with me until early hours of the

morning and sitting restlessly with me in the library for hours on end.

Finally, I would like to thank Jayne Sheridan for her enthusiastic and inspiring lectures as

well as my personal tutor Stephen Wigley for sharing his incredible knowledge in all things

fashion and music related and his generous constructive criticism.

Contents

- List of Figures

Side Bar 1: Cultural Capital (Further explanation)........................................................16

Side-Bar 2: Selection from My adidas (1986)................................................................29

Side Bar 3: Product Placement.....................................................................................32

Side-Bar 4: Trefoil........................................................................................................42

Side Bar 5: adidas Originals Consumer Profiles............................................................44

Side-Bar 6: Entertainment Marketing............................................................................49

Side-Bar 7: N Dubz Behind the Scenes Interview...........................................................65

Meet My Street Campaign Timings...............................................................................62

- List of Tables

Table 1: Celebrities and Personalities in Street Where Originality Lives........................59

- List of Abbreviations

EIM - Entertainmnet and Influencer Marketing

ASA - Advertising Standards Association

BCCCS - Birmingham Centre For Contemporary Cultural Studies

SS - Spring Summer

OBYO- Originals By Originals

Introduction.............................................................................................................................................. 6Rationale..................................................................................................................... 7Aims and Objectives.................................................................................................... 8Methodology............................................................................................................... 9Demarcations..............................................................................................................10

Fashion and Music: In the Beginning...............................................................................111.

Introduction................................................................................................121.1.

Hear the Sound See the Style.......................................................................131.2.

The Sportswear Revolution..........................................................................171.3.

Commercialism and Commoditisation of Subcultural Styles.........................201.3.1.

Heritage Brands and the Quest for Authenticity............................................221.3.2.

Summary.....................................................................................................................24

Tribal Instinct.............................................................................................................................252.

Introduction.................................................................................................262.1.

Tribes and Brand Community.......................................................................272.2.

Some Case Studies.......................................................................................282.3.

My adidas is your adidas: The Run DMC Phenomenon..................................282.3.1.

Tommy Hilfiger: Hip Hop Hurray?.................................................................322.3.2.

Reebok: G-UNOT!.........................................................................................362.3.3.

Summary.....................................................................................................................39

Every Trefoil Has a Story.......................................................................................................403.

Introduction.................................................................................................413.1.

Every Trefoil Does Have a Story: 3.2.

The Story Behind the adidas Originals Trefoil...............................................42

adidas originals: Brand Overview.................................................................433.3.

adidas Originals and Popular music: 3.4.

Cultural Phenomenon to Marketing Extravaganza.........................................44

Marketing Strategy.......................................................................................463.4.1.

The adidas Originals Team...........................................................................493.4.2.

2010: Key Trends........................................................................................503.4.3.

SS10 Campaign Overview.............................................................................513.5.

Celebrating Originality: Marketing Communications Strategy.......................533.5.1.

Communications Media and Media Plan.......................................................533.5.2.

Summary.....................................................................................................................55

Street Where Originality Lives...........................................................................................564.

Introduction................................................................................................574.1.

Campaign Film............................................................................................584.1.1.

Campaign Launch.......................................................................................614.2.

Media Vehicles............................................................................................614.2.1.

Engaging the Consumer: 4.3.

Post-Launch Activities and Entertainment Marketing....................................64

Mini Case Study: adidas Originals x N dubz................................................644.3.1.

Summary....................................................................................................................67

The Verdict.................................................................................................................................685.

Introduction................................................................................................695.1.

Media Implementation Statistics and Results...............................................705.2.

Meet My Street............................................................................................705.2.1.

Street Where Originality Lives Commercial..................................................705.2.2.

N Dubz : 5.2.3. JD Trunk Show (N Dubz x JD Sports Commercial) and PR Activity.................71

Campaign Evaluation..................................................................................715.3.

Strengths....................................................................................................715.3.1.

Weaknesses................................................................................................725.3.2.

Summary....................................................................................................................73

Now All is Said and Done (Conclusion).......................................................................................74

Appendices..............................................................................................................................................77

References...............................................................................................................................................103

6

INTRO-DUCTION‘The relationship between popular music and fashion has been much

neglected and both areas have been radically under-theorised....’

Noel McLaughlin (Bruzzi S. and Church Gibson P., eds., 2005: 264)

7

Many researchers (Angela McRobbie and Andy Bennet for example) give a partial view

on the relationship between fashion and music, focusing solely on cultural values. The

connection between fashion and music is as old as time; this is because of its inevitable

relevance in human self expression. It is a cultural phenomenon which has captured the

attention of many academics and researchers across the globe.

Fashion and music, both elusive and dynamic in nature have forged a relationship so

strong that it is almost impossible to examine them individually. Varasteh (2009) describes

fashion and music as ‘two completely different concepts of personal expression, yet in

every respect, they coexist together where one cannot live without the other.’ According to

Noel McLaughlin:

‘Popular music is taken to play a powerful role in ‘shop windowing’ and selling

clothes (with certain rock and pop stars regarded as ‘fashion leaders’) and, in

turn, clothing has been viewed as central part how popular music signifies.’

(Bruzzi and Church Gibson eds., 2005: 264)

Several researchers have analysed the relationship between fashion and popular music

from cultural or creative perspectives; very rarely has this phenomenon been reviewed

from a commercial view point. Music has over the years, become a pivotal element in

fashion marketing and branding strategies.

The correlation between fashion and popular music is a cultural phenomenon which has

grown over the past few decades and developed into a full blown marketing operation.

This intimate relationship is even more evident through the intricate liaison between

sportswear brands and popular music culture. This case study will create an understanding

of the commercial relationship between sports fashion and popular music by drawing on

the cultural influences and applying them against post-modern marketing techniques with

special reference to the adidas Originals Street Where Originality Lives campaign. This will

create a deeper understanding of the role popular music plays in promoting sportswear

brands.

Rationale

8

Aim Objectives&

Aim

The aim of this case study is to gain a deeper understanding of how sportswear industry participants use popular music to promote themselves by examining the planning, execution and effects of the adidas Originals Spring Summer 2010 campaign.

Objectives

To understand the heritage of pop music in promotions in the sportswear industry -

To examine the macro-environmental factors that affected the planning of the adidas -Spring Summer 2010 campaign

To critically analyse the adidas Originals S/S 2010 campaign -

To evaluate the effects and impact of the campaign -

9

Methodology

In order to gain a deeper understanding of the research topic, both primary and secondary research methods were employed.

Primary research was crucial in obtaining ‘first-hand’ information on the adidas Spring Summer 2010 campaign and particularly critical evaluating the results and effects of the campaign. It entailed personal interviews (via email) with members of the adidas team:Justin Cader who is the Brand Communications Executive and Akua Agyemfra Entertainment and Influencer Marketing Manager at adidas UK.

Secondary research created a deeper understanding of the issue. A wide range of textbooks, journals, and magazine and newspaper articles were consulted alongside documentation provided by adidas; key texts include: Hebdige (1979) and Polhemus (1997). YouTube was also vital in obtaining video statistics, as well as Just for Kicks (Longeville and Leone, 2005) – a documentary which was key in understanding sneaker culture and was also a key reference point when analysing the adidas/ Run DMC relationship.

10

Demarcations

Due to the broad nature of the research topic, the following demarcations were put in place to keep this study focused and concise:

Fashion will, in most cases; refer to sports fashion unless stated otherwise. -

Although Hip hop will be the most mentioned genre of popular music in this study, -references will also be made to other genres of popular music.

Popular music is assessed in terms of the music/ lyrics and the musician/ celebrity. -

‘adidas’ as advised by Justin Cader (Brand Communications Executive at adidas), is -always written in lower case.

11

1. Fashion

In the Beginning...Music:

Momma always says there’s an awful lot you could tell about a

person by their shoes’

Forest Gump (Zemeckis,1994)-

&

12

In order to understand how the sportswear industry in particular uses popular music to

promote itself, following questions must be answered:

What is the basis of the relationship between dress and popular music?-

When did the sportswear industry become associated with popular culture?-

Why does it now use popular music to promote itself?-

This chapter looks to answer these questions by exploring the history of the relationship

between dress and popular music. Although this study is not entirely based on cultural views

and ideologies, beginning the study by examining the fashion/pop music relationship in a

historical context and drawing on cultural ideologies will provide a good background and a

solid foundation for proper comprehension of the study. It will also help in understanding

how sportswear made the transition from active wear to becoming part of the lifestyles of

people (mostly youth subcultures) around the globe, thus making sportswear as everyday

attire.

Introduction1. 1.

13

Research surrounding dress and popular music has more often than not, been centred on

youth culture and ‘the younger generation’. It was not until the fifties that young people

began to be referred to as ‘teenagers’. (Olson, 2000) confirms this stating that American

society first saw the ‘teenager’ emerge as an identifiable constituency during the fifties.

The connection between dress and popular music was established long before the emergence

of teenagers or ‘youth culture’ (and youth subcultures) as such in 1950s America; but

although this may be the case, researchers have argued the existence of youth subcultures in

the ‘inter-war’ periods of 1920 and 1940 in the form of flappers and zooties respectively.

(See Fig.1. and Fig.2.)

What is it about young people that makes the coexistence of fashion and music so

significant? Drawing on Hebdige (1979), dress and music are sub-cultural signs which

contribute to the formation of sub-cultural styles; styles which in most cases, symbolize

their resistance to all things ‘normal’:

Hear the Style, See the Sound

“These humble objects can be magically appropriated; stolen by subordinate groups and made to carry secret meanings: meanings which express in code a form of resistance to the

order which guarantees their continued subordination”

(Hebdige, 1979, p.18).

See Fig.3. and Fig.4.

1. 2.

14

Flappers

The wailing sounds of Jazz gave rise to the

birth of the flappers in 1926. The Flappers,

also known as the Good Time Girls or Bright

Young Things (Laver, 1964), were the

attractive, reckless and independent young

women of the ‘20s. They were characterised

by their Eton Crop hairstyles, androgynous

figure and short, loose skirts and dresses

which enabled them to move freely to the

rhythm of the Charleston. Flapper culture

was short-lived as the Wall Street Crash

struck in 1929; the flapper’s frivolous and

somewhat rebellious way of life could no

longer be sustained due to the imminent

Great Depression which went on to plague

the thirties.

Zooties

1940s saw the introduction of a new

subculture – the Zooties. The Zootie culture

originated within African-Americans in

Harlem and spread to Mexican-Americans.

The Zooties dressed in zoot-suits and were

Jazz enthusiasts.

Fig. 1. Flapper Circa 1920s

Fig. 2. Young Zooties wearing Zoot Suits (Sims, 1999, p.18)

15

The Punks adopted the spikes and

safety pins while the Ragga girls

wore the controversial ‘batty rider’

shorts; these items and pieces

of clothing served an important

significance to the identities of

these youth groups.

Fig. 3. Ragga Girl in Batty Rider shortsPhoto by Winston Sill(Tulloch, 2004, p.73)

Fig. 4. London Punk (Polhemus, 1997, p.92)

16

Many scholars have studied the relationship between youth culture and popular music.

Hesmondhalgh (2005, p.22) states that popular music is very important in the lives of

young people; he explains this by claiming that older people get, the more disconnected

they are with music:

‘The most famous popular music of the past decades seems to have been created mainly by young-ish people for young people’ (ibid, 2005, p.22)

Music plays an important role in the formation of identities for youths; according to Roberts

and Christenson (as quoted in O’Toole, 1997), pop music styles define the crowds and

groups they are part of. It has the power to inflate or suppress their moods and emotions;

one can safely say that it provides the soundtrack to their everyday lives.

The same goes for youth’s relationship with clothing; Calefato (2005, p.117) suggests

that through modes of dress (and music), the younger generation take on bodily forms

of feeling and constructing an identity well before

such modes crystallize into ideologies or great social

projects. Certain items of clothing are associated

with certain cultural commodity; dress thus, provides

visual representation of the wearer’s lifestyle – likes,

dislikes, etc.

Both clothing and music are part of a vast group

of elements that make up sub-cultural style; vast

knowledge of these elements and how they can be

applied uniquely serve as sub-cultural capital (see

side bar 1) to different social groups. An individual

(or a group of individuals) recognize, adopt and

appropriate musical and fashion styles which then form

the basis for their identity. Dress and music, therefore

work together simultaneously and act as avenues for

individuals to create identities for themselves or be

part of already existing social groups or trends.

Side Bar 1: Cultural Capital (Further explanation)

Capital in economics is a factor of production which is used to create goods and services which in turn generate income; cultural capital can therefore be defined as accumulated cultural strength through knowledge which in turn generates power and status. Cultural capital according to Shuker (2005, p.64), is: ‘(in relation to the media) the preference of individuals and social groups for particular texts and the role such tastes play as both means of self-identification and as social indicators to others.’

17

This relationship is also simultaneous in the sense that dress styles tend to follow the cue

of music styles; Ted Polhemus agrees stating that: ‘when musical styles change, so do the

dress styles (Polhemus, 1997, p.28). The perfect example of this occurring is that of the

drastic change that occurred in both dress and music styles during the Wall Street Crash

and Great Depression between the twenties and thirties.

See Duncan and Papanikolaou (2006), Muggleton (2006), Bennet (2002) and Lillethun and

Welters eds. (2007) for more on music, fashion and youth culture studies.

Now that the basis of the relationship between fashion and music has been established,

this study is one step closer to achieving the first objective; to understand the heritage of

pop music in promotions in the sportswear industry.

It is impracticable to pinpoint the exact period when sportswear (or active wear) made the

transition to ‘sports fashion’ (or urban wear). However, there are different examples of

situations – as highlighted by Polhemus (1997) – where sportswear crosses-over from the

playing field to the lifestyles of a vast amount of subcultures; as the Zoot suits played an

important role in the lives of the young African-American men in Harlem, so did sportswear

in the lives of Surfers (1950s), Skinheads (1960s), Casuals (1970s), B-Boys and Fly girls

(1980s) and Skaters (1980s). The dress/music relation.ship is still in play here as the Surfers

were synonymous with The Beach Boys while the Skinheads were

in-tune with Jamaican ska, blue beat and rocksteady, and so on.

The Sportswear Revolution1.3.

18

Fig. 5. Surfers - Actor Peter Lawford and other Malibu Surfers circa 1953

Fig. 6. The Beach Boys Album Cover

Fig. 7. Skinhead - ‘Pasha the Russian Trad’ Photo by Mitya Ganopolsky (Fred Perry, 2011)

Fig. 8. Casuals - ‘The Firm’ (Love, 2009). Image from www.80scasualclassics.co.uk

19

Fig. 9. Skater (Polhemus, 1997, p.86) Fig. 10. BBoysPhoto by Jamal Shabazz

Fig. 11. Salt ‘n’ Pepa, Official Fly Girls

20

These and other subcultures identified by Ted Polhemus in Street Style (1997) are subject to

commercialism and commoditisation by the fashion industry. Shuker (2005, p.46), defines

commercialism as the general influence of business principles and practices upon social life

including leisure activities; the commoditization or re-production of cultural commodities

(dress and music in this case), as material goods/products for a particular market.

A good representation of commoditization in practice is that of the Zoot Suit in the forties;

Zoot Suits were popularised by Jazz musicians of the time which consequently led to the

style ‘bubbling-up’ (Polhemus, 1997, p.8) into mainstream fashion. According to Polhemus

(ibid, p.18), the influence from Jazz was so great that in 1941, the New Yorker magazine

predicted that the zoot suit would define the direction of mainstream male fashion.

Increasing consumer culture in the late eighties gave rise to an increase in commercialism.

The result was the development of mass marketing in the clothing industry which not only

commoditised Parisian fashions (see Agins, 2000) but also the styles of these niche anti-

fashion groups; street styles soon became mass produced and appeared on major catwalks

around the world – the fashion system ‘trickle down / trickle up theory’. This coupled with

the need to connect with the consumers on a more personal level (rather than the fashion

dictatorship which was headed by Paris), created a marketing craze which saw designers

turning to street culture for inspiration and working with musicians and ‘scenes’ who were

usually members of the social groups that they (the designers) often exploited.

Although hardcore rockers refused to conform to this new development (as with everything

else), the hip hop nation fully embraced it with rappers like Snoop Dogg and L.L. Cool J

making public appearances while sporting ‘Hilfiger’s red, white and blue tracksuits’ (Agins,

2000, p. 112) and jerseys.

Commercialism and Commoditisation of

Subcultural Styles

1.3.1.

21

Sportswear brands were particularly

popular with the urban, inner-city youths; a

community of rappers, B-Boys and Fly Girls –

the hip hop community. These youths were

drawn to the big name-brand clothing as they

were aspirational; sportswear at that time

came with highly visible logos which suited

the ‘look-at-me’ attitudes of the African

American youths who were (and still are) on

a quest to achieve the American Dream – the

bigger the logo, the better as this portrayed

a sense of success and wealth.Fig. 12. African America Kids in Sporswear, Photo By Harr Jacobs(Tulloch, p. 101)

Fig. 14. LL Cool J wearing a Fila tracktop and Kangol hat

Fig. 13. Lauryn Hill wearing Tommy Hilfiger, Phot by: Mick Hutson(Hilfiger and DeCurtis, 1999, p.132)

22

Brands that commercialise these subcultures must not be mixed up with those whose

heritages are built upon the values that the groups represent. The single most important

factor that distinguishes these brands (and designers) is authenticity; a factor which only the

subcultures and/or the brands which represent them can effortlessly possess. Polhemus, in

explaining the effects of the fashion system on street style, states:

Imitation may be the sincerest form of flattery, but just as the counterfeiting of fashion designers’ own designs undermines their value, something similar occurs when fashion copies street style. (Polhemus, 1997, p. 12)

Urde et al (2007, p.5) defines heritage brands as those with positioning and value

propositions based on its heritage. Some examples:

O’Neil-

The first O’Neil shop was opened in 1952; the same decade where

the Surfer group emerged and has now become a staple in surfer

culture (www.oneil.com).

Fred Perry-

Fred Perry has long been synonymous with the Hard Mod/ Skinhead

culture. Originally a Tennis brand, Fred Perry’s association with British

youth culture is one that (according to the brand’s ‘Heritage’ website),

saw it become the first cross-over brand from sportswear to street

wear (www.fredperry.com/heritage).

adidas Originals-

A big part of the adidas brand heritage lies in the brand’s relationship

with youth culture. This led to the introduction of the heritage brand,

adidas Originals. adidas Originals is widely known as the original

lifestyle brand, this is largely due to its influence on youth lifestyles.

The brand’s heritage, unlike the other examples stated above, is

seeded in various youth subcultures and aspects of street culture;

Skaters, Casuals, B-Boys, graffiti artists, Sneaker-heads and Acid Jazz

(See chapter three for more on adidas Originals’ heritage).

Heritage Brands and the Quest for Authenticity1.3.2.

Fig. 17. adidas OriginalsLogo

Fig. 16. Fred Perry Logo

Fig. 15. O’Neil Logo

23

Urde et al describes brand heritage as ‘a dimension of a brand’s identity found in its track

record, longevity, core values and use of symbols’. This description of brand heritage

stands as a perfect tool to illustrate the heritage of popular music in sportswear promotion

by using adidas as an example. adidas sneakers and tracksuits played a pivotal role in

the lives of Casuals, B-boys and the Acid Jazz scene – so much so that in 1986, hip hop

group Run DMC created a record paying tribute to the adidas Superstar basketball shoe. It

is not the creation of the record as such that makes marketing history but the events that

followed (See chapter 2).

Fig. 18. Run DMC, 1986Photo by: Edet Roberts (Tulloch, 2004, p.63)

24

The relationship between dress and popular music revolves around image and identity

formation; dress and music play a key role in developing, portraying and reflecting

personalities and moods – especially in youth social groups. The post-war period saw

youths develop into a clear market with a new sense of freedom; this sense of freedom was

personified by the relaxed and escapist attitude of Surfer culture in the fifties which is the

earliest (but not the most discussed) example of sportswear crossing over to lifestyle fashion.

The relationship between sportswear and popular music has since evolved from a cultural

experience to a global marketing phenomenon through the increase of consumerism and

is evident from adidas’ relationship with Run DMC. This liaison between adidas and Run

DMC was the first of its kind in both the sportswear industry and the hip-hop community;

it revolutionised the way that both sportswear and popular music industries operate and

collaborate. The fashion/pop music relationship which was once about creating identities

was suddenly about to start selling them.

Summary

25

2. TribalInstinct:

‘In a sense, fashion has returned to its roots: selling image. Image is

the form and marketing is the function’.

Teri Agins (2000, Harper Collins)-

26

The sportswear industry, more than any other, has reaped bountifully from the inevitable

relationship between fashion and pop music. Music and musicians have been successfully

(and unsuccessfully) worked into the marketing strategies of sportswear brands around

the world. However, as this chapter will illustrate, not all brands set out with the intention

of exploiting this relationship for marketing purposes.

This chapter, in introducing the main case of this study (the adidas Originals 2010

campaign) will:

Assess how postmodern sub-cultural theories of tribes affect the commercial -

relationship between sports fashion and popular music.

Illustrate via mini case studies which highlight the different ways in which -

certain brands including adidas Originals have in one way or another, created

a commercial relationship with popular music.

2.1.Introduction

27

Several postmodern sub-cultural theorists have dismissed the Birmingham Centre for

Contemporary Cultural Studies’ (CCCS) research into of youth cultures and as limited;

as focus is mainly centred on class factors such as gender, locality and occupation (see

Hesmondhalgh 2005, and Bennet, 1999). Andy Bennet, in order to move beyond these

limitations, adopted the term ‘tribes’ so as to ‘capture the unstable and shifting cultural

affiliations which characterise late modern consumer-based activities’ (Bennet 1999, p.605,

quoted by Hesmondhalgh 2005, p.24).

The concept of tribes as analysed by Bennet has come to play a key role in post modern

marketing techniques. Tribalism, according to Cova (1996, p.495) ‘involves a re-emergence

of quasi-archaic values – local identity, religious feeling and syncretism and group self

awareness.’ Tribes unlike subcultures are formed based on shared emotions, lifestyles,

consumption practices and symbolic and ritual practices of their members (more of a

psychographic than demographic grouping). This concept gave rise to Tribal Marketing;

a form of marketing that seeks to connect with consumers (tribes) on an emotional level

by creating products or services that are of symbolic significance to certain groups of

individuals.

Tribes also play an important role in brand management. More and more brands are moving

towards creating (or nurturing in the case of heritage brands that already have a strong

following) brand tribes or communities in a bid to efficiently engage their consumers. Muniz

and O’Guinn (2001, p.412) define brand communities as specialised, non-geographically

bound community that is based on a structured set of social relationships among admirers

of a brand.

Many researchers, academics and marketing experts are today, recommending these

concepts of tribal marketing and brand communities as a means of managing their brand

image and connecting with their audiences by drawing on these cultural influences and

applying them to everyday marketing endeavours.

Tribes and Brand Community2.2.

28

2.3.1. My adidas is Your adidas:

The Run DMC Phenomenon

It all began in the ‘80s; 1982 saw the birth of a new breed

of hip hoppers – Run DMC. The hip hop trio from Hollis

Queens New York created a new wave in hip hop culture

and sportswear marketing that changed the way that

sportswear brands and musicians alike operate.

Run DMC decided that they were going to dress on stage

the way they did on the streets; far from the funk-a-

delic fashions of the likes of Grandmaster Flash and the

Furious 5, Grandmaster Caz and Rick James of the late

‘70s. In the words of Bill Adler (Run DMC’s Biographer),

the band decided that they were going to be ‘true to hip

hop’ (Adler in Longeville and Leone, 2005). They donned

adidas tracksuits and adidas Superstar sneakers (the basketball shoe commonly known as

Shelltoes); like true street veterans, they wore the sneakers without the laces (a trend which

filtered down to the streets from the prisoners and ex-cons).

Russell Simmons, the band manager, understood branding and the importance of image. By

1984, the Run DMC ‘brand’ had taken over the streets of New York and had started to spill

onto other states in the US. Urban kids identified with Run DMC; ‘we went to Detroit in ’83;

we had never been there before. When we got there, the whole city was wearing adidas...

everybody started wearing adidas because of us’ (DMC, Longeville and Leone, 2005).

In 1985, the band faced impromptu opposition from Dr. Gerald Deas, a medical doctor,

playwright and poet. Deas, like a great deal of the ‘older generation’ in the eighties was not

a supporter of the way sneakers (and general street fashions) were being worn. He created

a rap record dedicated to the ‘felon sneakers’.

Some Case Studies2.3.

Fig. 19. Run DMC

29

This situation is one which would have called for a prompt crisis management strategy

from adidas but the brand was not yet involved with the hip hop scene. However, Run DMCs

commitment to adidas inspired them to ‘fight back’ – lyrically:

‘We cared about adidas so we screamed out: my adidas walked through concert doors and roamed all over coliseum floors... that was important to us’ (Run, ibid)

The 1986 hit single, My Adidas was born

in response to Deas’ Felon Sneakers. Run

DMC’s marketing team saw this as an

opportunity to connect with the brand

on an official level; an endorsement

pitch video was sent to adidas with full

information of the success of My Adidas

on the Billboard charts accompanied

by a selection of rhymes from the track

to express their love for the Superstar

sneaker (see side bar 2).

Angelo Anastasio, Marketing Director at

adidas at the time, was invited to a Run

DMC concert at Madison Square Gardens, New York, during the bands Raising Hell tour. He

witnessed first-hand not only the love that the band had for the brand but the impact that

this affiliation for adidas had on their fans (who would soon become a new target consumer

for adidas). During the performance of My Adidas, Run shouts out to the crowd: ‘Now if

you’ve got adidas put it up in the goddamn air’ (ibid). The response was phenomenal;

Anastasio had this to say:

‘It was amazing to see 20,000 people were wearing and waving the product in

the air while singing about it’ (Anastasio, ibid).

Side-Bar 2: Selection from My adidas (1986)

Standin’ on 2 Fifth St. Funky fresh and yes cold on my feet with no shoe string in ‘em, I did not win ‘em I bought ‘em off the Ave with the black Lee denim I like to sport ‘em that’s why I bought ‘em a sucker tried to steal em so I caught ‘em and I fought ‘em And I walk down the street and I bop to the beat with Lee on my legs and adidas on my feet and now I just standin’ here shooting the gif Me and D and my adidas standing on 2 Fifth My adidas.. My adidas..

AZ Lyrics, My Adidas Lyrics, no date, http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/rundmc/myadidas.html, Accessed on 28 November 2010

30

It was not long before a contract was drawn up and the $1 million deal was signed; the very

first celebrity endorsement deal for the hip hop community. Run DMC was also adidas’ first

non-athlete endorsement. A reported 382,000 pairs of adidas Superstar sneakers were sold

in 1986 (ibid).

‘It was an incredible marriage of a brand that was known worldwide to the athletic world, now all of a sudden the hip hop community started rapping about it. It was very exciting’ (Anastasio, ibid).

Run DMC and adidas had started a trend that other sportswear and lifestyle brands would

soon adopt.

It is this heritage that adidas Originals has been built upon; authenticity and originality

–adidas is the original lifestyle brand. It was the first sportswear (and fashion) brand to

fully embrace hip-hop culture; adidas represents pure, undiluted and authentic street style

which originated from the streets of New York. According to Haig (2007), one of adidas’

secrets of success is its history; Haig states that adidas ‘is a brand that retains credibility,

in the worlds of street fashion and sport, by being proud of its past and confident of its

future’ (ibid).

Fig. 20. Run DMC

31

Fig. 21. Run DMC

32

2.3.2. Tommy Hilfiger: Hip Hop Hurray?

This is an example of a brand that got it so right – but only for a while.

The ‘90s was a busy period for Tommy Hilfiger; the brand had just launched its sportswear

range and Hilfiger – being the marketing guru that he was – had strategically aligned it with

hip hop culture and the urban ‘inner-city’ kids by making use of “bolder colours, bigger

and baggier styles, more hoods and cords, and more prominence for logos and the Hilfiger

name” (Klein, 2000, p. 94); a trend which was prominent within the hip-hop community

as it signified wealth and success (comparable to the zooties in the forties). According to

Agins (2000):

‘Hilfiger was one of the first designers to plaster his name on rugby shirts and tops that fit right in with status logos as Puma, adidas and Gucci that rappers loved to wear in music videos’. (Agins, 2000, p.111)

It was a move that the rest of the fashion industry could not comprehend; after all, it was

the black consumers who followed the white mainstream, right? Was the fashion industry

prepared for black youths to lead white consumers? (ibid)

Tommy Hilfiger proudly clothed the hip hop

nation in his big logo sweatshirts and throw back

jerseys. In 1994, rapper Snoop Dogg appeared on

Saturday Night live sporting an oversize Tommy

Hilfiger rugby shirt (see fig 1. and 2); this product

placement effort by Hilfiger remains a pivotal

moment in the history of the brand as well as

that of hip hop fashion as revenues went from

$138.6 million in 1993 to $227.2 million n 1995

(Lewis, 2009). More statistics show that by 1999,

four years after Snoop’s appearance on SNL, sales

had risen almost fourfold to nearly $900 million

(Voight, 1999).

Side Bar 3: Product Placement

Product Placement in simple terms is the act of placing or integrating a product or brand in either entertainment vehicles such as movies or TV programmes, or cultural vehicles like song lyrics (also known as name dropping), plays (theatre) and even novels.

See (Lehu, 2007) for more on product placement.

33

Fig. 23. Snoop Dogg with Helen Hunt on Saturday Night Live3(1994)

Fig. 22. Snoop Dogg on Saturday Night Live (1994)

34

Hilfiger’s young and influential brand image tantalised the taste buds of hip hop enthusiasts

all over the world; the question to ask at this point is: why was Tommy Hilfiger so successful

in this endeavour (targeting inner-city youths), given that the urban kids could hardly

afford the clothing? Tommy Hilfiger was known for its history of preppy clothing which

were suited to WASPs (White, Anglo-Saxon and Protestant); white suburban kids from Ivy

League colleges. The introduction of Hip-Hop and it’s style however, changed that slightly.

According to Hilfiger (1999), hip hop music and styles had an overwhelming effect on the

white suburbs.

Hilfiger has always produced clothing that was targeted at youth (white youth) but where

the wonder lies is in the fact that these preppy suburban kids were no longer interested in

wearing sweaters and loafers: ‘now the white kids from the toniest backgrounds turn their

baseball caps backwards and wearing athletic clothes on the streets’ (Hilfiger, 1999, p.128);

they could afford the clothing and they wanted to be recognised as tough and rebellious

( just like the rappers in the music they now listened to) so they bought into it. Research

showed that followers of hip hop culture were not limited to the ‘ghettos’ of America; rich

suburban kids were also buying into the tribe.

Members of the Hip Hop community bought into the fantasy that Tommy Hilfiger represented.

This quote by Russell Simmons (founder of Def Jam records and owner of urban fashion

label Phat Farm), explains this ideology better:

‘We always bought into logos, the reason for it is it represents all the shit we don’t have. We’re not ripped-dungarees-rock-n-roll-alternative-culture people. We want to buy into the shit we see on television but we want to put our twist on it. Part of the fantasy of fashion is about being successful. It’s aspirational. I put this on, I’m getting laid. Not because I’m cool and raggedy but because I’m cool and clean, because I want to buy into this culture’ (Agins, 2000, p.111).

Opposite Page (Left to rght)

Fig. 24. Aaliyah in Tommy Hilfiger’s 1996/1997 Campaign

Fig. 25. Aaliyah and Dad at Tommy Hilfiger Fashion Show

Fig. 26. Aaliyah in Tommy Hilfiger’s 1996/1997 Campaign

35

36

2.3.3. Reebok: G-UNOT?!

In 2005, Reebok jumped on the entertainment marketing band-wagon and launched its

celebrity infused ‘I Am What I Am’ campaign. The campaign press release read:

‘The campaign encourages young people to embrace their own individuality by

celebrating their contemporary heroes’ (Reebok, 2005).

Curtis ‘50 Cent’ Jackson was on the list of ‘contemporary heroes’ alongside Jay-Z , top

athletes Allen Iverson, Andy Roddick, Kelly Holmes, and Yao Ming; screen stars Lucy Liu

and Christina Ricci, skateboarder Stevie Williams, and soccer star Iker Casillas, (Reebok,

2005). How did a rapper who has built his career based on his violent lifestyle by publicly

and repeatedly declaring that he has been shot nine times, end up in Reebok’s largest

global integrated marketing communications campaign as a contemporary hero?

The obvious benefits associated with using 50 Cent in this campaign are worth stating: 50

Cent is a successful rapper who appeals to a wide audience of urban youths which makes

it no wonder that Reebok was keen to work with him. In 2004, he reportedly broke all of

Reebok’s sales records in only two months with his G-Unit for RBK line of sneakers (Just for

Kicks, 2005) which according to Kiley (2005) were also outselling Jay-Z’s S.Carter for RBK

footwear line which were already outselling Allen Iverson’s. Kiley (ibid) states: ‘He is big

money, because he’s at the top of his game’.

Each celebrity was allotted a TV ad slot which gave them ‘the opportunity to break through

the fiction that surrounds their public persona’ (ibid). 50 Cent’s ad featured him counting

from one to nine in reference to the nine times that he had been shot. The campaign

launched on TV and cinema in February 2005 and by April 2005, 50 Cent’s advert had been

banned with claims that ‘glorifies guns’ (Gibson, 2005).

‘As 50 Cent is a well-known gangster style rapper whose music is closely

associated with crime and violence, we believed the advertisements endorsed

his type of lifestyle and disregarded the unsavoury and perilous aspects of it

by implying it was possible to survive being shot nine times,’ (ASA, Gibson,

2005)

37

Fig. 28. Jay Z I am What I am campaign

Fig. 27. 50 Cent Reebok I am What I am campaign

38

The setback with this campaign is not that 50 Cent is a violent rapper (although that

poses various ethical questions), but the claim of authenticity and individuality that comes

with it. According to Reebok representatives the campaign was ‘intended to be a positive

and empowering celebration of this right of freedom of self-expression, individuality and

authenticity’ (Kiley, 2005)

50 Cent is hardly authentic; his ‘shot nine times’ claim is dubious. There is also no real

proof of this claim which means it stands the chance of being a publicity stunt or just his

‘rap persona’. 50 Cent, (unlike KRS-One and Afrikaa Bambaata) is one of the endless list of

‘new age’ rappers responsible for commercialising hip hop; taking it away from the values

with which it was created by rapping about money, cars, women and alcohol – this, even in

the rap community is hardly considered authentic or original as it is something of a norm

in hip hop culture today.

This attempt by Reebok to tap into hip hop culture is an example of the difficulty many

fashion brands face when associating with music as a whole. It comes across in a way

that Reebok in trying to ‘celebrate authenticity and individuality’, did what every other

brand was doing at the time (which contradicts authenticity and individuality) and failed to

properly analyse the objectives of the campaign against the selection of the endorsees.

39

adidas Originals is a brand that seems to get it right every time; the brand is in tune with its

target consumer and is always innovating fresh methods of connecting with its ever savvy

youth consumer. Run DMC’s endorsement of the brand created a host of branding and

marketing opportunities for adidas that the company still makes use of today.

adidas set a pace for other brands to follow. Tommy Hilfiger, a marketing guru, understood

the buying and selling power that the hip hop community possessed; although the urban

kids could hardly afford his clothing and footwear, their commitment to hip hop and their

hunger for the ‘American dream’ saw them saving their allowances just a own a piece of the

luxury that Hilfiger offered them. Hilfiger enjoyed success for a limited period as he saw

the hip-hop community as a profitable venture rather than an extra addition to the Tommy

Hilfiger brand community.

Reebok on the other hand, fell into the trap that many of fashion brands face when it comes

to celebrity endorsement. They seemed more concerned with the high sales figures which

50 Cent represented than with the potential danger he posed to the brand’s image. There

is no doubting that 50 Cent was a profitable asset to the brand but the main objectives

of celebrating authenticity and individuality did not come through his rap persona or his

advert film as the latter was eventually banned.

Would 50 Cent have agreed to support Reebok if there was no money involved? And would

Tommy Hilfiger have said: ‘I don’t care. I’m proud those kids look great’ (Hilfiger and

DeCurtis, 1999, p.127) when the press questioned him about the hip-hop community

wearing his clothes, if the relationship was bringing losses instead of profits? Celebrity

endorsements are particularly effective in re-branding or re-introducing a product into

the market. However, an important factor that seems to be placed on the back-burner in

celebrity endorsements is the endorsees genuine love and will to support the brand. adidas

succeeds with its alignment with street culture because its heritage is built upon it – the

streets of New York. It maintains this authenticity by selecting the musicians that genuinely

support it as a brand; those that have a track record of wearing adidas products. According

to Justin Cader, Brand Communications Executive at adidas:

The relationship with bands/groups and artist is symbiotic; they wear the brand because it’s cool, and we put them in the brand because they bring something to it (Cader, personal communication via email, 2011).

The Superstar shoe was dead, but Run DMC singlehandedly brought it back (Anastasio as quoted in Longeville and Leone, 2005).

Summary

40

Every3.

hasaTrefoil

Storyadidas Originals: the original lifestyle brand, born in sport heritage but living in

contemporary lifestyles

adidas-Group (2009,www.adidas-group.com)-

41

The previous chapters have examined the coexistence of fashion and popular music by

drawing on its history and analysing it against youth subcultures. The adidas Originals

Spring/Summer 2010 campaign is a useful case to study in order to understand exactly why

and how the sportswear industry, in recent times incorporates popular music in promoting

itself. This chapter examines the adidas Originals marketing strategy by answering the

following questions:

What is the relevance of the adidas brand heritage in its modern day marketing -

activities?

How does adidas apply these cultural influences in the planning of the adidas -

Originals SS10 campaign?

3.1.Introduction

42

The adidas Originals logo is a Trefoil (see fig.29). Born out of more than a hundred ideas

in 1971, the Trefoil was first used on adidas products in 1972 and became the company’s

corporate logo until 1997 when the ‘3-bars’ logo was created after which the Trefoil logo

became the official adidas Originals logo once the Sports Heritage division had been

conceived in 2001 (see appendices for full logo history).

Drawing on Hebdige’s (1979) analysis of the importance

of symbols in popular culture (youth subculture in

particular), the Trefoil can be looked at as the ‘humble

object’ that can and has been ‘magically appropriated’

(p.18) by adidas. The adidas trefoil with its 3 ‘leaves’,

symbolizes the diversity of the brand. Unlike youth

subcultures where the ‘objects’ tend to carry secret

meanings which are left to the public to ‘decode’, the

brand logo (the trefoil in this case), is created ‘so that it

succeeds in generating a representation in the viewer’s

mind that parallels the company’s own concept of its

image’ (Buttle and Westoby, 2006, p. 1181). To explain further, the task of translating the

message which the logo holds is left to the brand marketing and advertising team.

The trefoil logo is now a symbol for the authenticity and originality that adidas Originals

represents; a logo which makes the brand recognisable as ‘the perfect fusion of heritage,

sport, authenticity and global street style’ (2001, adidas-salomon.com).

Every Trefoil does have a Story: The Story behind the adidas Originals Trefoil

3.2.

Side-Bar 4: Trefoil

The term ‘ trefoil’ (Latin= trifolium which means ‘three-leaf plant) is very symbolic in nature; the Irish Shamrock (three-leaf clover) is a national symbol, Christians use the trefoil to symbolise The Trin-ity i.e. the Father, Son and Holy Ghost. The term is also very popu-lar in Gothic architecture.

Fig. 29 adidas Trefoil LogoFig. 30 adidas 3-Bars Logo

43

adidas Originals: Brand Overview

adidas Originals is the original lifestyle brand; a division of adidas Group that aims to

‘increase the brands reach into the lifestyle market without losing sight of its long heritage

as the original performance brand’ (2001, adidas-salomon.com). Originals does this by

drawing upon adidas’ heritage in sports footwear and producing limited edition replicas,

updating some of the most successful sport performance models and designing new models

directly inspired by the authentic sports performance products; as well as associating

the brands core values in sports with its relevance in popular culture via marketing and

communications media. The adidas Originals products are appropriated for the lifestyle

consumers and branded with the trefoil logo (The original adidas logo)

3.3.

44

adidas Originals and Popular music: Cultural Phenomenon to Marketing Extravaganza

A significant part of the adidas heritage is the brand’s history with popular music; as

chapter two illustrates, the most iconic example to date is the adidas /Run DMC coalition

(although, as highlighted in chapter one, adidas

was also a favourite of the acid jazz scene as well

as the indie community in recent times). This

relationship marked the start of new beginnings for

the brand as it created an awareness of the market

for lifestyle products and introduced the brand to

a new psychographic and target consumer; style

leaders, setters and adopters.

It also saw the brand collaborating with even more

hip hop music icons. In 1994, a whopping 9 years

after the brand’s relationship with Run DMC begun,

adidas collaborated with Missy Elliot to create

the Respect ME collection target at urban young

women.

‘It is Missy’s personality and her love for adidas, her music and her audience that drives every aspect of the Respect ME collection.’ (Peng and Chen, 2007,p.149)

The Respect ME collection has become a permanent

part of the adidas Originals product range.

3.4.

Side Bar: 5

adidas Originals Consumer Profiles:

1. Style Leaders and Influencers

This adidas Originals consumer is a

young male or female that is highly

energetic and very fashionable. They

start the trends which filter down to

the mass market. They are quirky, fun

and most importantly, have a thirst for

originality and individuality.

2. Generalists and Adopters

This adidas Originals consumer is

the kid who wants to fit in and show

that they are part of the group.

This consumer wants to show their

allegiance to his club, university,

favorite athlete, favorite band, etc.

45

Fig. 31. adidas Originals Respect ME

Fig. 32. adidas Originals Respect ME

Fig. 33. adidas Originals Respect ME

46

As part of the adidas Group Global Brands initiative, the following strategic principles and

methods were developed in order to drive sales growth and improve profitability:

Product innovation to inspire the consumer-

Activation and validation via a relevant set of promotion partnerships.-

Extend brand reach and appeal through strategic partnerships. -

Marketing and communication leadership-

adidas Global Brands Strategy (adidas Group, 2009 Annual Report)-

The limited nature of this study permits focus on the second and fourth points listed

above.

Originals was initially developed as a niche brand within adidas in year 2000; its marketing

campaigns were not as mainstream as the Sports Performance division. In 2008 however,

adidas Originals started to make the transition from niche to mainstream marketing as the

company recognized a continuous growth in the market for street-wear and lifestyle fashion

which represented a unique opportunity for adidas Originals as it is more fragmented and

larger in size than the market for products used in sports activity (adidas Group, 2009).

Adi Dassler (the founder of adidas) was incredibly loyal to sports and the athletes he

represented. It is this same passion that has come through in the adidas Originals’ brand

strategy and operations; focus is not placed on sales figures (although this is equally as

important) but on maintaining the brand identity and increasing brand loyalty not just

through product offerings but also through brand communications and marketing strategies

that are in-line with the target consumer’s interests and engage them in authentic and

innovative ways while re-enforcing the brand’s rich heritage.

3.4.1.Marketing Strategy

47

The consumers illustrated in the consumer

profiles in side-bar 5 are particularly interested

in popular music; a characteristic which

explains their affiliation with the heritage

brand; Run DMC can be categorised under the

style leader profile while the 20,000 people

who waved their adidas footwear in the air at

the Raising Hell concert can be suitably placed

under the generalists and adopters category.

These qualities have become synonymous

with the adidas Originals brand and every

marketing campaign or promotional strategy

is tailored towards this target consumer and

literally celebrating the brand’s heritage.

Fig. 34. adidas Originals SS10 campaign stillsPhoto by Ari Marcopoulos

Fig. 35. adidas Originals SS10 campaign stillsPhoto by Ari Marcopoulos

48

The transition process was completed with the launch of the (then) largest global adidas

Originals brand campaign, ‘60 Years of Soles and Stripes’ in 2009 under the brand mantra

of Celebrate Originality. This campaign carried more evidence of the brand’s affiliation

with popular music. This was visible throughout the 60th anniversary celebration campaign

which was set against a ‘House Party’ back drop with an exhaustive list of performers and

personalities from the adidas Originals community.

By using the ‘Celebrate Originality’ slogan, adidas Originals produces integrated marketing

campaigns that connect with and engage the youth audience in creative, innovative and

original ways (adidas Group, 2009). How does adidas continue to promote itself with these

strong musical influences and how are these elaborate campaigns planned and executed?

Fig. 36. Daryl McDaniels (DMC) in adidas Originals SS09 Campaign Still ShotPhoto by Shaughnessy, R.J (2008)

49

The planning of the adidas Originals SS10 campaign took an ‘all-hands-on-deck’ approach

with input from the fully armed global Entertainment and Influencer Marketing team (EIM),

Trend Marketing, Brand Communications and Digital Marketing departments which covers

all areas of the brand’s traditional and non-traditional branding operations; (see side bar

6).

As with every long-standing brand, the major

concern of these adidas Originals marketing

departments is maintaining a positive brand

image. Gary Aspden, Trend Marketing manager

at adidas Originals UK, states: ‘we don’t look on

it that any publicity is good publicity, we don’t

need brand awareness’ (Davies, 2004). The

responsibility of the EIM team lies in deciding

what is right or wrong for the brand’s image;

choice of celebrity for endorsements, placing

the right products in films and music videos and

seeding the right products in the right events.

adidas is one of the very few sportswear brands

that has successfully created and maintained a

marketing strategy which is fully aligned with

popular culture (street culture and hip hop music

in particular).

Side-Bar 6: Entertainment Marketing

Fashion and music alike, owe a great deal of the commercial advancement of their relationship to the advent of the entertainment marketing phenomenon.

Entertainment marketing, by standard definition is the marketing of entertainment products. For the sake of this study, the concept of Entertainment Marketing will not be analysed as ‘the marketing of entertainment products’ but as defined by Jean Marc-Lehu and other marketing professionals as ‘the integration of a product or a brand within entertainment and cultural vehicles’ Lehu (2009); entertainment and cultural vehicles in this case refers but is not limited to popular music. Product placement, celebrity endorsements, artist collaborations, event planning and sponsorship all fall under the Entertainment Marketing umbrella

3.4.2.

adidas Originals Team

50

2009 saw the start of a global economic recession; the recession set the tune for emerging

trends in 2010. While 2009 was a period of fear and due to the global economic recession,

2010 saw a new spirit of revival and escapism as the global economy recovered from the

economic downturn. Consumers in 2010 were spending more cautiously, particularly on

brands which were of significance to them. This was largely due to the sense of nostalgia

that took over 2010, with consumers searching for an emotional connection with their

clothing and favourite brands. According to research by WGN, strong cultural references,

brand heritage and a sense of story will become all-important to the youth consumer

(Collings et al. 2010).

2010 also saw a media evolution (Mintel, 2009) with social media taking its place as a key

communication platform; according to Rees (2010), 97% of teenagers spend over 2 hours

a day on social networking sites. Research also showed that the youth market thrives on

instant feedback (ibid), thus, mobile social media networks such as Facebook and Tweeter

gained more recognition in 2010.

As youths are becoming more and more mobile, personal mobile devices with added WI-FI

such as I Phones and I Pads were in high demand in 2010. Another key trend in 2010 was

the consumers’ need to ‘be in control; via personalisation or personal recommendation

via social media and blogs. 2010 saw an increase in mass customisation and some brands

handing over creative control to consumers. According to Collings et al. (2010), ‘when the

youth market looks at something, it does not see a finished product, but a Beta version -

something to adjust, adapt and add to.’

3.4.3.2010 Key Trends

51

SS10 Campaign Overview

The adidas Originals Spring Summer 2010 global campaign was launched in March 2010

under the banner of Street Where Originality Lives. The main inspiration for the campaign

was the SS09 ‘House Party’ campaign. According to Justin Cader, Brand Communications

Executive at adidas:

‘In 2009 adidas Originals owned the ‘Celebrate’ part of our brand mantra: ‘Celebrate Originality’ and in 2010 we decided to push the ‘Originality’ part by talking the party to the street and creating an place that only adidas Originals could create.’

The aim of the campaign was not only to showcase originality but to take the celebration of

originality from the house (2009 House Party campaign), to the streets. The campaign (like

that of 2009), comprised of a host of personalities from the worlds of music, fashion and

sport including graffiti artists, athletes, designers, models, musicians, B-boys and so on, who

were brought together in the ultimate street party in the adidas Originals neighbourhood.

Street Where Originality Lives was produced by Montreal-based advertising agency, Sid Lee

(official adidas ad agency) and the advert was directed by Nima Nourizadeh and sound-

tracked by Pilooski’s remix to Dee Edward’s Why Can’t There Be Love. The stills for the print

ads were shot by world renowned photographer, Ari Marcopoulos.

Key Target Audience: 16-24 Males and Females

3.5.

52

People Profiles

Sid Lee: -

Sid Lee is a creative agency based in Montreal, Canada. The agency was founded in 1993 and employs over 400 staff. In 2008, the agency was appointed the lead creative agency for adidas Originals. It is responsible for advertising, branding, retail design, experiential and interactive communications for adidas Originals. Previous projects include the adidas Spring Summer 2009 ‘House Party’ campaign and the launch campaign for the adidas Originals Denim by Diesel collection

Nima Nourizadeh: -

Nima Nourzadeh graduated from Central Saint Martin’s College of Art and Design with a BA Hons. in Fine Art Film and Video in 1999. He is now an award winning Director under Partizan (global production company) and is famous for the music videos he has directed for the likes of Lily Allen, Hot Chip, Dizzie Rascal, and Mark Ronson, and so on. He worked on the adIdas Spring Summer 2009 House Party campaign.

Pilooski-

Cedric ‘Pilooski’ Marszewski is a French DJ that is famous for his ‘re-editing’ techniques. He has made a name for himself by remixing old school classics into something fresh and up-beat for the modern dance floors.

There is no special relationship between him and adidas Originals but his tracks always seem to fit the bill as his remake of The Four Seasons’ Beggin’ (1967) and Dee Edwards’ Why Can’t there Be Love (1971) were featured in the adidas Originals Spring Summer 2009 and 2010 campaigns respectively.

Ari Marcopoulos -

Ari Marcopoulos (born 1957) is a photographer and film maker; he started his career as an assistant to Andy Warhol in New York where he now lives and works. Marcopoulos is renowned for his ability to ‘transplant’ himself into the intimate lives of everyday individuals including skateboarders, snowboarders, artists and musicians.

‘His stunning landscapes and playful portraiture offer a dramatic take on everyday life and a glimpse into all things awesome’ (incase, 2011).

Fig. 37. Sid Lee Logo

Fig. 38. Nima Nourizadeh

Fig. 39. Pilooski

Fig. 40. Ari Marcopoulos

53

3.5.1.

Celebrating Originality: Marketing Communications Strategy

The main objective for the Brand Communications team was to create a campaign that could

reach as many people as possible. The marketing team was tasked with the job of ensuring

that every highlight point of the campaign was more interesting than the last. Taking

these objectives into as well as the consumers’ needs and the Global Brands methods of

‘activation and validation via a relevant set of promotion partnerships’ and ‘marketing and

communication leadership’ into consideration, adidas undertook various forms of above-

the-line (ATL) and below-the-line (BTL) promotions:

Advertising - via Street Where Originality Lives campaign film and JD Trunk Show

(adidas Originals JD exclusive collection campaign film featuring UK urban music act

N Dubz)

Public Relations - through brand activation events and press activities throughout

the duration of the campaign including a competition called ‘Meet my Street’ which

coincided with launch of the ad campaign.

Sponsorship - deal with Channel 4 and numerous celebrity endorsement deals with

personalities that are commercially and culturally relevant to adidas Originals target

consumer.

3.5.2.

Communications Media and Media Plan

An important factor that was considered in the planning of the campaign communications

media was the need to make the campaign as involving and engaging as possible.

Communications Media

Television and Cinema: in order to reach the mainstream consumer and ensure they -

had seen the brand ad enough times to create a memory in their minds

Digital/ E-marketing via .com and social networking sites such as Facebook and -

video hosting sites such as YouTube

54

Media Plan

Campaign Launch via Skins sponsorship with 3 minute ad ‘roadblock’ across Chanel -

4 platforms (including launch of Meet My Street contest)

3 week TV campaign-

5 week cinema campaign-

Launch of JD Trunk Show plus a 2 week London cinema campaign-

Meet My Street competition (March 2010 – June 2010)-

55

Summary

2010 was a difficult period for any brand to plan or execute a campaign as the economy

was still experiencing the effects of the recession; spending power especially for the adidas

Originals target consumer was still very low. This means that brands required a great

deal more than elaborate marketing campaigns to properly engage their target consumers.

adidas’ iconic brand heritage in popular music culture gives it leverage over its direct

competitors as it possesses the natural ability to connect with its consumers on an emotional

level with truly authentic messages. Popular music is a part of the brand’s DNA and the

adidas Originals division was created to celebrate that heritage.

The adidas Originals Spring Summer 2010 campaign (like the previous years) was the

embodiment of everything adidas stands for; adidas Originals marketing campaigns pay

homage to the brands heritage and the members of the adidas community that keep it alive.

The SS10 campaign serves as the perfect example to understand how certain sportswear

brands successfully work with popular music. The following chapters will analyse the

implementation of this campaign and evaluate its success.

56

4.Street WhereOriginalityLives

‘Brand managers must open up their brands to members of a community, downplay their overt marketing prowess and appeal to the timeless values of

that community’.

-Beverland (2005, p.460)

57

The adidas Originals Street Where Originality Lives campaign (as with the 2009 House Party

campaign) was heavily infused with elements from popular music culture. This campaign

analysis is not based on sales figures but on the brand’s use of certain cultural vehicles

and entertainment marketing concepts to engage their target audience of style leaders and

adopters, and enhance the adidas Originals brand community.

This chapter aims to establish how adidas Originals uses popular music to promote itself

by:

Exploring how adidas Originals uses entertainment marketing concepts through the - campaign by conducting a mini case study on UK urban act N Dubz’s role in the

campaign

Analysing the implementation of the campaign against the environmental factors - (highlighted in 3.4.3.) that may have affected the production of as well as consumer

behaviour towards the campaign

Introduction4.1.

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For the Street Where Originality Lives campaign film, adidas created the perfect ‘Street

Party’ setting complete with iconic performers and guests in the form of true adidas

Originals fans. An industrial estate in East London was shut down for an intense week of

shooting in the third quarter of 2009. The film consisted of an eclectic mix of celebrities

and personalities from different countries across the globe (see table 1.). adidas provided

Originals consumers with an environment that they could relate to and be comfortable in;

the campaign cleverly comprised of representatives from every element of street culture

e.g. buskers, skaters, bikers, break dancers, graffiti artists, DJs and other walks of life

e.g. athletes, models, designers and musicians; it tapped into the spirit of nostalgia that

lingered in the air in 2010.

adidas unlike many other sportswear brands, dedicates as much precision in creating

products for the lifestyle consumer as with the sports consumer. adidas understands

that just as there are different sports, there are also different lifestyles. Each group of

representatives were clothed in the adidas Originals product which was relevant to their

lifestyle. The bikers wore the adidas Originals OT-Tech range while David Beckham wore

his own adidas ObyO x David Beckham line; the break dancers wore the mainline adiColor

tracksuits and tee shirts while the footballers wore carefully selected products from adidas

Originals World Cup range. This was done in order to increase desirability within the

members of the different social groups that make up the adidas brand community.

Campaign Film4.1.1.

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Celebrity Name Nationality ProfessionAdrienne Bailon American Actress, Singer-songwriter, TV

PersonalityAgyness Deyn British ModelAna Ivanovic Serbian Athlete (Tennis)Calle 13 Puerto Rican Band (Hip hop)Cheer Chen Taiwanese Singer-songwriter, guitarist, PianistCassandra Steen German SingerCiara American MusicianDaft Punk French Band (Electro)Darth Vader American Star Wars CharacterDavid Beckham British Athlete (Footballer)DJ Neil Armstrong American Disc JockeyFernando Verdasco Spanish Athlete (Tennis)Hyori Lee South-Korean Musician (hip-hop and R&B) & ActressIan Brown British Musician (Rock)Jay Baruchel Canadian ActorJeremy Scott American Fashion DesignerLouise Roe British TV Presenter, Fashion Journalist and

ModelMr. Hudson British MusicianN-Dubz British Band (Hip-hop and R&B)Noel Gallagher British Musician (Rock)Peridot British Street Dance CrewSnoop Dogg American MusicianStorm Trooper American Star Wars CharacterTallulah Morton Australian ModelUnity British Street Dance CrewWhitney Port American TV Personality, Fashion Designer

Table 1: Celebrities and Personalities in Street Where Originality Lives

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Street Where Originality Lives campaign stills

Fig. 41. Agyness Deyn & Jeremy Scott

Fig. 42. Agyness Deyn Fig. 43. Snoop Dogg

Fig. 44. Mr. Hudson Fig. 45. Whitney Port

Fig. 46. Fixed Gear Bikers Fig. 47. Skaters

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The launch of the advert film was the major event of the campaign as all other promotional

activities followed; the campaign was launched in March 2010. In order to create awareness

of the launch the campaign and to increase interaction with the brand, adidas Originals

organised the ‘Meet my Street’ competition where consumers were invited to create a film

which depicted the originality of their ‘neighbourhood’. The competition, which ran from

March 2010 to June 2010, offered the winner a ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ opportunity of an all-

expense paid street party courtesy of adidas Originals in their neighbourhood; complete

with performers. The EIM team was responsible for organising and sourcing the performers

for this event; the line-up consisted of DJ James Theaker, Daisy Dares You, DJ Mista Jam,

Example and DJ Swerve.

-

Television via Channel 4: -

The official adidas media agency, Carat, initiated a media partnership between adidas

and Channel 4. Both the competition and the feature-length campaign were premiered

during the three minute advertising break of popular youth series Skins on E4 at 10:10pm

on 18th March 2010. The initiative saw Channel 4 presenter Rick Edwards introduce the

competition with his own take of ‘his’ neighbourhood (which was a diluted version of the

adidas Originals ‘neighbourhood’) and inviting viewers to take part in the competition. In

support of the launch activity, Channel 4 also ran promotions via T4 and other youth targeted

programming for two weeks. The final ‘Meet My Street’ event along with the winning video

from Ted Thorpe from Plymouth was recorded and compiled into a short film which was

ultimately televised in an ad break on Channel 4.

4.2.Campaign Launch

4.2.1.Media Vehicles

62

Skins R oadblock – Mar ch 18th

R ick Edwards drives to meetmystreet.com Hero Spot

Channel 4 mini compSiteDrive to Facebook page

Skins F inaleE 4 announce promo

spot & advert

R ick E dwards Intro Comp B ackground

R ick’s 60 sec Urban Montage Clip

Originals Masher App Facebook Page

Users create and submit entr ies

Gig on Your Original Street

J ulyMarch - J une

B log Card onadidas.com

Meet My Street Meet My Street –– Campaign Campaign TimingsTimings

Fig. 48. Meet My Street Campaign Timings courtesy of adi-das UK

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Internet Marketing Via: -

adidas Originals website: www.adidas.com/originals-

Channel 4 website: www.channel 4.com-

TV on Demand: 4oD (4 on Demand), Sky Sports-

adidas Originals YouTube page-

Various blogs (see appendix for a selection)-

Facebook, MySpace, and YouTube:

Viewers were invited to enter the Meet My Street competition via the micro-site:

www.adidasmeetmystreet.com – an application on the adidas Originals Facebook page

were entrants could upload and edit their videos by adding elements from the adidas

Originals campaign film. All promotional activity (including the adverts) were promoted,

digitised and ‘shared’ with the adidas brand community on the adidas Originals Facebook

and YouTube pages.

Channel 4:

Channel 4 also ran a separate competition on www.channel4.com offering entrants the

opportunity to win a Sony TV, Camcorder and Laptop. Channel four also ran promotions

on youth targeted programming on their digital platform: 4OD (4 on Demand).

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According to TNS: Engagement is about connecting consumers and brands in a way that allows for a two-way experience. This ‘new’ model of communications is based upon a simple human truth that consumers’ time and attention must be earned and rewarded (Leong and Ryan, 2007, p.2).

Promotional activities and brand activation events were organised as a part of the campaign

with full participation from the different brand ambassadors as each celebrity in the

campaign was expected to be available for global promotional activities in the form of live

performances and personal appearances (Agyemfra, 2010). Entertainment marketing plays

a crucial role in adidas Originals’ promotional activities; the EIM team is responsible for

making the true connection with the target consumer by sourcing the appropriate celebrities

and organising any entertainment related events that the brand may undertake.

It would be impractical to analyse every single activity that took place during the campaign;

it is for this reason that this study focuses on the most prominent of these: activity

surrounding UK Urban act N Dubz.

Mini Case Study: adidas Originals x N dubz-

N Dubz is a British hip-hop trio from London comprising of Dino ‘Dappy’ Contostavlos,

Richard ‘Fazer’ Rawson and Tulisa Contostavlos. They, like Run DMC were loyal adidas fans

who even before being approached by the brand for the Spring Summer 2010 campaign

always sported adidas Originals products.

N Dubz was approached by adidas in 2009 with a contract to become official brand

ambassadors for the Spring Summer 2010 adidas Originals campaign as well as the JD

Sports Exclusive adidas Originals range of products. According to Akua Agyemfra (EIM

Manager at adidas UK), Ndubz were identified as a fresh faced and relevant band that were

making waves in the music industry; the band was utilised in almost every aspect of the

campaign and was a core element in the promotions activities.

Engaging the Consumer: Post-Launch Activities and

Entertainment Marketing

4.3.

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adidas Originals ‘neighbourhood’ Augmented

Reality Activation (January 2010)

As part of the SS10 product offering, adidas

introduced the AR Game Pack collection; a selection

of products with AR codes with which consumers

could gain access to the virtual adidas Originals

neighbourhood (see appendices for press release).

N Dubz was employed to introduce the adidas

neighbourhood to the user via the AR experience.

SS10 Campaign Behind the Scenes (BTS) video (March 2010)

BTS videos were shot on location;

these included one on interviews with

the celebrities and personalities that

took part in the campaign. The videos

were shared via YouTube on the adidas

Originals page (see side bar for N Dubz’s

interview questions). According to

Cader, this was done in order to keep

the campaign as engaging as possible.

adidas Originals ‘JD Trunk Show’ TV

Commercial (April 2010)

Not only were N Dubz official adidas

Originals endorsers, they were also

the brand ambassadors of the adidas

Originals JD Sports line. The band

featured in the adidas Originals x JD

Sports TV Commercial (JD Trunk Show) which was sound-tracked by their own music

Against All Odds.

Side-Bar 7: N Dubz Behind the Scenes Interview

Where we and what are are you doing - today?What’s it like to be a part of something - with so many talented people?How do you celebrate originality?- What is it like working with family?- What did you do when you were - younger?Where do you get inspiration for your - music?Who would be your dream collaboration?- How has the internet and social network - sites helped your career?Are you involved in any charity projects?- Will you be supporting England in the - World Cup?What advice do you have for anyone who - wants to get into the music industry?

Fig. 49. N Dubz Augmented Reality adidas Neigbourhood

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N Dubz Live @ Matter: Exclusive N Dubz Gig (May 2010)

adidas Originals in association with JD Sports, organised an exclusive N Dubz concert at

Matter nightclub at O2 Arena in London. Tickets for the event were limited to 700 and were

made available to JD customers via a competition which ran on the JD Sports micro-site.

The event offered the JD customers and N Dubz fans an intimate experience with the band;

even more so for the10 extra fans who won exclusive backstage VIP passes. The show was

filmed by Channel 4 and televised as part of the Being N Dubz series.

Being …..N Dubz presented by adidas Originals (June 2010)

Being ……N Dubz was a 6 part TV reality series on the hip hop group. The show was

sponsored by adidas Originals and was aired on 4Music and Channel 4 every Monday for

6 weeks at 9:00pm and 11:15pm respectively. The show was filmed using ‘HD POV mini-

cameras, which were fixed at the band members’ eye- level; it offered an intimate and

revealing look at the world through the eyes of the band.

Fig. 50. adidas/JD N Dubz gig banner

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Each element employed in the campaign taps into the emotional connection that the

consumers have with the brand which is an important factor in maintaining brand loyalty

with this target market especially during the economic downturn when consumers are

looking to relate with brands that relate with them.

adidas maintains its originality throughout this campaign by ensuring that every element is

unique to ‘adidas’. The brand works with popular music in a way that no other brand does;

it embraces popular music culture as a whole rather than the music of the musician alone.

The ‘street party’ concept, buskers, roof-top performances, skaters, bikers, street dancers,

fashion designers and personalities, and music icons all make up popular music culture

and are at the heart of adidas Originals as a brand.

Entertainment marketing is an invaluable asset to adidas Originals as it works to create

an ongoing experience for the consumer rather than one-off ad placements. The brand

maintains it tradition of ‘doing things first’ by focusing its efforts on N Dubz; a then niche

group with an enormous underground fan base. adidas also employs ambassadors from

different regions of the world; this makes it culturally and commercially acceptable on

a global scale and allows the campaign to appeal to the wider adidas Originals brand

community outside of U.K and the U.S (unlike the 2009 House Party).

All these points were taken into consideration in the campaign evaluation which is discussed

in the next chapter.

Summary

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‘Successful companies think in terms of tribes, not market segments....They turn

marketing and business into something social and fun’

Francis Gossieaux, co-founder and partner at Beeline Labs-

(Quoted in Rees, 2010)

TheVerdict:5.

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Bearing the aim of this case study in mind, the success (or failure) of the campaign was not

analysed based on sales figures but on the effectiveness of the communications media and

media channels used. This chapter aims to answer the questions:

How successful was the brand in connecting with and engaging its target -

audience?

What role did popular music play in achieving this connection-

5.1.Introduction

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The TV and Cinema plan was strong proved extremely successful for adidas; with carefully

selected platforms and programming. Facebook and YouTube were the main digital

platforms which were the perfect solution to the problem of targeting the core adidas

Originals consumer in the difficult economic climate.

Meet My Street (E4 launch and cross-platform promotions)

The ‘Meet My Street’ concept which was used to launch the campaign on E4 was a unique

and very successful venture for both Channel 4 and adidas Originals. Channel 4 recorded

break retention for the key 16-34 men demographic on March 10th 2010, at an astounding

94% (in comparison to an average level of 81%). The competition received nearly 5,000

entries and over 17,000 visitors to the adidas competition micro site. Over 12% of entrants

asked to hear more from adidas in the future which provided a database of engaged and

interested entrants who adidas could contact further about the Meet My Street campaign).

It generated a total of 400,300 pre-rolls on C4 and YouTube, 2 million views on ‘w00t!’’,

14.8 million views on Facebook and 6.7million views on MySpace (Information courtesy of

www.channel4sales.com (2010) and adidas, UK)

Street Where Originality Lives Commercial

The campaign film was aired on carefully selected youth targeted Channel 4 programmes

and platforms for 3weeks and cinema for 5weeks. The advertisement generated over 18.5

views on TV, 2.2.million views, 2,655 comments 4,628 likes (1,731 dislikes) and 7,302

favourites on YouTube, 20,149 views on Facebook, 510 tweets and 585 blogs. It also

generated 15,896 clicks through to adidas.com (a relatively small amount compared to the

2.2million views delivered on YouTube) and a total of 9.3 million cinema admissions.

Media Implementation Statistics and Results5.2.

5.2.1.

5.2.2.

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N Dubz : JD Trunk Show (N Dubz x JD Sports Commercial)

and PR Activity

The N Dubz JD Trunk Show also aired on Channel 4 platforms as well as a 2 week London

cinema campaign. The commercial delivered a total of 145 TVRs (2 TVRs more than planned)

which is equivalent to 16.8 million views and a total of 1.2 million cinema admissions.

Campaign Evaluation:

Strengths

adidas Originals had a great deal of strengths and opportunities that played to its advantage

in the planning and implementation of the campaign.

Firstly, adidas’ heritage in popular culture gave the brand an advantage over its key

competitor (Nike) as not only can adidas provide products that cater to their vast groups of

consumers but also produce marketing campaigns that engage them on a more personal

and emotional level. This was (and always will be) beneficial to the brand, particularly

during the recession period as research shows that youths at that time where (and still

are) keen on creating or being a part of a community of like-minded individuals. The Street

Party setting with an eclectic mix of icons and extras from different walks of life and social

groups was representative of the ever-growing adidas Originals brand community.

Secondly, adidas Originals employs a strong and clearly thought out team of professionals

working in its EIM, Trend Marketing, Digital Marketing and Brand Communications

departments. These teams ensure that the right consumer markets are being targeted via

the right media and with the right messages; this makes it no wonder that the campaign

was able to reach 75% (7.15million) of all 16-24s in UK. adidas is popular for its ability to

reach its consumers via multimedia platforms with innovative campaigns that touch on

different aspects of the consumers psyche. Channel 4 was the perfect media partner for

adidas Originals and this campaign; adidas set out to create the biggest adidas Originals

5.2.3.

5.3.

5.3.1.

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campaign to date and partnership with Channel 4 made this possible. adidas’ has an

incredibly intimate relationship with icons from different works of life across the globe. The

brand makes use of celebrities especially from the music scene, not to push sales but to

continually highlight and celebrate the brand’s affiliation with popular culture. This method

of activation and validation via a relevant set of promotion partnerships (see chapter 3) is

an important element of the adidas Originals Marketing strategy as it makes this and other

campaigns commercially relevant on a global scale.

According to Akua Agyemfra:

‘Our goal is to stay aspirational and to allow our product to speak for itself across all cultural mediums. The campaign embraces and connects with our core consumers whilst incorporating key ambassadors that have demonstrated their respect and love for the brand by affiliation.’

5.3.2.Weaknesses

Every campaign, no matter how successful, is never without its short-comings.

The campaign comprised of too many celebrities (which support the brands goal of ‘staying

aspirational’) but failed to deliver an equal amount of post-launch activities – in terms of

consumers’ expectations – which are crucial to the continuity factor of every campaign. The

advertising campaign creates the initial connection with the consumer but the PR and post-

launch activities keep the consumer engaged; Meet My Street and N Dubz seemed to be the

only highlights of the campaign period.

The campaign also lacked ‘assorted’ digital content; another element that is vital in engaging

the consumer – especially the adidas Originals target consumer. There was a total of 28

Behind the Scenes videos which received a combined total of 725, 548 views on YouTube

(data correct as of 31 January 2010).

Although activity surrounding N Dubz and Meet My Street lasted for the duration if the

campaign, there was not enough ‘variation’ of content to really keep the target consumer

interested. This, according to Cader was a key learning point for the brand; in reviewing the

campaign, he states: ‘strong content will be key to connecting with our target market –

they want to see new ‘cool’ things all the time’.

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Summary

This campaign was successful because not only was it highly interactive, but it connected with

the target consumer on so many levels and still managed to retain the brands authenticity and

individuality. Popular music influences are present throughout the campaign but are not the

Unique Selling Point of the campaign; it is this subtlety that contributes to the ‘communal’

value of adidas. The celebrities are not placed on a pedestal but are embraced as part

of the adidas community alongside the BBoys, designers, skaters and bikers; introducing

brand new ambassadors such as N Dubz while retaining the originals maintains the brand’s

aspirational qualities.

The Street Where Originality Lives campaign was a great success and stands as adidas

Originals’ largest campaign to date. The campaign, even with its shortcomings, did a good

job of connecting with the consumer; the statistics presented indicate that although non-

traditional marketing techniques are becoming more popular among the target audience,

traditional methods like TV advertising, when implemented properly, are still extremely

effective. adidas maintains its brand values throughout the campaign by bringing together

global representatives of the different social groups that make up the adidas brand

community thus creating and maintaining an emotional connection with (and between)

adidas Originals consumers around the world.

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isNow

Sports fashion was blessed by kids yearning to look like their favourite athlete. Now

it is part of the vocabulary of casual style and an element of the rock and roll and

hip-hop wardrobe for stars and fans alike’

Tommy Hilfiger (Sims, 1999, p.223)-

Done &Said

all 6.

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Sportswear was particularly popular within hip hop culture because it was seen as a status

symbol as the heroes of that time for African- Americans were athletes and every inner-city

youth wanted to look like their favourite athlete; it was luxurious, cool and aspirational.

Since Run DMC and adidas tied the knot in 1986, many fashion and sportswear brands

(and bands) alike, have attempted to recreate the spark that they (adidas and Run DMC)

produced; some were successful and some were not.

The nineties saw many brands go on a hunt for ‘cool’ and during that period, ‘black’ was

cool; according to Klein (2010, p.74), cool hunting simply means black-culture hunting.

Tommy Hilfiger was successful only for a while because the brand was not an authentic

street brand; Hilfiger identified the market as profitable and pursued it. Unlike adidas and

Run DMC whose relationship started on the basis of genuine support for the brand, Hilfiger’s

fraternisation with the hip hop nation was built on the basis of money, status and the search

for the cool factor.

Reebok was also on a quest to achieve street credibility by teaming up with the biggest and

one of the most notorious rappers of his time, 50 Cent. Although the rapper represented

high sales figures, the campaign was hardly believable. The shoes sold because 50 Cent

had a huge following, not because the Reebok consumers believed or connected with the

campaign as such.

Many brands now employ entertainment marketing teams that focus solely on using popular

music to promote their brands. adidas’ EIM team however focus on celebrating adidas’ rich

heritage in popular music rather than actively exploiting the brand’s relationship with street

culture.

It seems that for brands to successfully work with popular music there has to be a certain

degree of authenticity, a mutual understanding and appreciation of the brand (and band/

musician) and both parties must be fully aware and in-tune with the target market.

‘Bands have become mediums in their own right, a means for advertising brands. Brands need brand ambassadors to create the right impression for them, and as a brand the easiest way to build sales is to start with the right brand ambassador. But the brand and person wearing it still have to have authenticity. Their ilk probably have to be wearing the brand or that particular look anyway. It’s not as simple as putting a product on a star and expecting it to work’

-Simon Jordan (Sims, 1999, p.214)

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Heritage brands such as adidas Originals and Fred Perry have leverage over other brands

such as Nike, Fubu, Fila and Tommy Hilfiger because they have a long track record of their

encounters with popular music. This not only ensures authenticity but it also ascertains

credibility; consumers, especially in recent times want brands that they can trust. This

comes with the territory with heritage brands but other brands may have to work harder to

achieve this.

Another key recommendation for brands looking to work with popular music is to ensure

that they maintain a certain level of continuity. As suggested by Wright (2010): a long-

term partnership will deliver the best results as it depicts brand loyalty on the part of

the musician and promotes this notion to the consumer. Daryl McDaniels (AKA DMC of

Run DMC) for instance, featured in the adidas Originals Spring Summer 2009 House Party

campaign re-iterating the bands commitment to the brand and celebrating the legacy which

both adidas and Run DMC have created in their respective industries.

adidas continues to be successful because it’s relationship with popular music is not part

of a marketing strategy; adidas embraces popular music in its entirety unlike many other

brands that focus solely on either the music, musician or event.

Pop music is interwoven in the brands DNA therefore its believable and connects with the consumers on a deeper level and for a longer period of time than just Spring Summer 2010 for instance. adidas’ values and authenticity is what sees it through every time and has seen the brand create a global community of followers and believers that span different walks of life .

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APPENDICES

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Appendix 1: Case Study Proposal

Title: How the Sportswear Industry uses popular music to promote itself; with special reference to the adidas Originals Spring Summer 2010 ‘Street where

Originality Lives’ campaign.AimsThe aim of this case study is to gain a deeper understanding of how the sportswear industry uses popular music to promote itself.Objectives

To understand the heritage of pop music in promotions in the sportswear industry•To examine the environmental factors that affected the planning of the campaign •To critically analyse the adidas Originals S/S 2010 campaign •To evaluate the effects and impact of the campaign•

MethodologyPrimary ResearchPrimary research will enable one to properly explore and describe (exploratory and descriptive research) the issue. It will include:

Telephone/ face-to-face / email interviews with industry experts from both sportswear •and pop music industries. Proposed interviewees:

Paola Lucktung :Senior Manager, Entertainment and Influencer Marketing o (EIM), adidas UKRachel Kirby :Ex Manager, Entertainment and Influencer Marketing (EIM), o adidas UKGary Aspden (Trend Marketing Manager, adidas UK)o Richard Castillo: A&R, o Shalit Global, NDUBZ ManagerIvy Weir Ikpeme: Celebrity Fashion Stylisto Richard Shoyemi: Celebrity Fashion Stylisto Trevor Nelson: DJ and Presentero Jean Marc Lehu: Associate Professor in Marketing and Director of Advanced o Graduate Studies in Logistics at Panthéon Sorbonne University, Paris Justin Cader; Brand Comms. At adidas UKo

Journals•Documentation provided by companies •

Secondary ResearchSecondary research, will not only enable me to gain a deeper understanding of the issue, but also predict future trends or occurrences that may develop. It will include:

A wide range of text books on the issue•Magazine/ Newspaper articles •

•IntroductionAims and ObjectivesRationaleDemarcationsMethodology

Chapter One This chapter will investigate the history of the relationship between fashion and popular music; from the flappers of the twenties to the hip hop revolution of the eighties.

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Chapter TwoThis chapter will explore other brands that have been successful with using popular music to market themselves. The main focus of this chapter will be on Tommy Hilfiger. Hilfiger’s ‘throwback’ jerseys made a big wave in the nineties in the hip hop community. This chapter will examine the company’s marketing strategy and its relationship with hip hop culture. It will also give a brief history of adidas’ relationship with hip hop culture with special reference to the brands endorsement of Run DMC.

Chapter Three (aims and objectives of the campaign)This chapter will analyse the adidas Originals Spring Summer 2010 ‘Street where Originality Lives’ campaign. It will provide information on the logistics of the campaign; how the visuals produced and what elements of the IMC mix were exploited.

Chapter FourChapter four will weigh the pros and cons of the campaign. It will evaluate and critically analyse the success and shortcomings of the campaign; consumer behaviour towards the campaign will also be evaluated. This chapter will also include a PEST analysis of the campaign; the PEST will create a deeper understanding of all the social and environmental factors that affected the production of the adidas Originals SS10 marketing campaign.

Chapter FiveThis chapter will provide recommendations and resolutions to the shortcomings identified in chapter four; it will cover areas such as choice of celebrity, music and promotions media. How successful was the campaign. Did they reach their objectives?

Chapter 6Conclusion/Recommendation I will conclude by stating the different ways in which the sportswear industry uses music to promote itself. Some methods are more effective than others; solutions and recommendation will be provided for the less effective methods.

References / BooklistAgins, T. (2000), • The End of Fashion: The Mass Marketing of the Clothing Business, Harper Collins New YorkTungate, M. (2008), • Fashion Brands: Branding Style From Armani to Zara, Kogan Page: LondonFrisa, M., Tonchi, S. (2004), • Excess: Fashion and the underground in the 80s, Charta: MilanSalazar, L. (2008), Fashion v Sport London V&A Publishing•Slater D. (2003), • Consumer Culture and Modernity, Blackwell Publishing Ltd: OxfordHess M. (2010), • Hip Hop in America: a regional Guide, Greenwood Press: CaliforniaShepherd, J. and Horn, J. (2003), Continuum Encyclopaedia of Popular Music of the •World: Volume 1 Media, Industry and Society, London: Continuum Shuker, R. (2005), Popular Music: the Key Concepts, Routledge: Oxon•

Bohdanowicz, J., Clamp, L., (1994), Fashion Marketing, Routledge: London•

Bruzzi, S., Church Gibson, P., (2005), Fashion Cultures: Theories, Explorations and •Analysis, Routledge, London.

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Appendix 2: Interviews

Justin Cader: Brand Communications Executive at adidas Area NorthA. Campaign Planning and Execution09.12.10

What was the inspiration and objectives of the 1. Street Where Originality Lives campaign?

The inspiration behind the Street where Originality lives campaign was built on the foundation of the previous year’s House Party campaign. In 2009 adidas Originals owned the ‘Celebrate’ part of our brand mantra ‘Celebrate Originality’ and in 2010 we decided to push the ‘Originality’ part by talking the party to the street and creating an place that only adidas Originals could create.

What factors were taken into consideration in the planning of the campaign (Political, 2. Economical, Social and Technological)?

Our aim to create a campaign that could reach as many people as possible, ensuring that every touch point was better and more interesting than the last. From a TV campaign to BTS footage online we continually strived to make the campaign as involving as possible.

How was the campaign ‘rolled out’? 3.

The campaign was rolled out using the following media plans:-

Skins sponsorship and 3 minute ad roadblock•Rick Edwards special film explaining ‘Meet My Street Competition’•Premier of Street Where Originality lives advert•3 week TV campaign•5 week cinema campaign•Launch of JD Trunk Show – 2 week London cinema campaign•Meet my competition – entrants are collated on Facebook meet my street app •page

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Skins R oadblock – Mar ch 18th

R ick Edwards drives to meetmystreet.com Hero Spot

Channel 4 mini compSiteDrive to Facebook page

Skins F inaleE 4 announce promo

spot & advert

R ick E dwards Intro Comp B ackground

R ick’s 60 sec Urban Montage Clip

Originals Masher App Facebook Page

Users create and submit entr ies

Gig on Your Original Street

J ulyMarch - J une

B log Card onadidas.com

Meet My Street Meet My Street –– Campaign Campaign TimingsTimings

What communications media were used and why?4.

We chose the sponsorship or skins and 3 min roadblock in order to create a •big bang spectacular event.Cinema and TV in order to hit the mainstream consumer and ensure they had •seen the brand ad more than oncePeople were driven to the Facebook Meet my street app to upload their own •‘Street where Originality lives’ film and show adidas what makes their town so great. Facebook is a key platform and helped us drive user generated content

How were the celebrities used in the campaign selected?5. I wasn’t part of this process I’m afraid so can’t comment.

You mentioned that ‘EIM don’t pay anyone’. Is this also applicable to the brand 6. campaigns i.e. are the celebrities paid or given a product allowance to a certain amount?

Again I’m not sure as I wasn’t part of this process – best to ask the EIM guys on this

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What makes the 7. Street Where Originality Lives campaign commercially relevant on a global scale?

Unlike ‘House Party’ from 2009 we focused on using celebrities and stars from across the globe. Taking feedback from all Global markets and using people culturally relevant to them. This ultimately made the campaign far more relevant to each market.

adidas is one of the only sportswear brands that has managed to maintain a 8. relationship with the music industry with any major setbacks. How has the brand maintained this relationship? What is the secret behind your success with street culture?

Fundamentally adidas Originals have remained true to our values or creativity, authenticity and individuality. We’ve followed these principals across everything we do and this has obviously made an impact on the people who buy our product and love our brand. There is no secret to why this relationship has been maintained however the symbiotic relationship between the brands fans and the brand has cemented it as part of popular and street culture.

How did you measure the rate if returns of the campaign?9.

I’m afraid I won’t be able to publish these as they are P&C

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Akua Agymefra: Senior EIM Manager at adidas Sports Style divisionB.

Campaign Planning and Execution

What part did EIM play in the production of the SS10 campaign?1. EIM provided the celebrity talent – both existing brand ambassadors and those new

to the brand.

What factors were taken into consideration when selecting the celebrities and 2. personalities used in the campaign?

Those who fit the brand ethos, the right look, energy and attitude. Those who had

had a level of successes and therefore a level or recognition in various markets –

across style and sport.

The Street Where Originality Lives campaign was a year-long campaign. What activities 3. were the celebrities involved in throughout the duration of the campaign i.e. what

was the basis of the endorsement deal between the adidas and the celebrities?

Celebs were expected to stay true to form in maintaining their love of the brand, to be

available for global promotional activities in the form of live performance, personal

appearances whilst continuing their support in wearing the brand consistently across

their own promotional schedule.

What is the reason behind song selection for the Street Where Originality Lives 4. campaign?

The song choice for every campaign needs to reflect the overall concept, there is no

special reason, just needs to fit the overall storyboard

What makes the campaign relevant on a global scale? 5.

Our history as a brand first and foremost. This campaign in particular highlights

the level of ambassadory we have across both Sport and lifestyle (which includes

fashion, music etc).

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What role does adidas play in popular music culture (and vice-versa) and how does 6. this come through in the campaign?

There is no key role for us to play. Our goal is to stay aspirational and to allow our

product to speak for itself across all cultural mediums. The campaign embraces and

connects with our core consumers whilst incorporating key ambassadors that have

demonstrated their respect and love for the brand by affiliation.

How is the rate of returns of the campaign measured? 7.

Across sales first and foremost and the accolades achieved with the success.

Ndubz

From my experience at adidas, I know there was a great deal of issues (or controversy) 8. surrounding the brand’s use of Ndubz as brand ambassadors due to their ‘lifestyle’.

What triggered the selection of the band and how were the ‘issues’ tackled?

NDubz were identified as a fresh faced, relevant band that were making waves

throughout music. Although they somewhat polarized opinion – their impact was

undeniable. Adidas were one of the first and only brands that supported NDubz, and

their successes both for themselves and as a case study for the brand are being used

as best practise all over the world. Any ‘issues’ that may have come to the table took

on less of a brand responsibility than may have been perceived externally.

Please feel free to add any information about the planning of the campaign. Also, Justin sent me some pictures but doesn’t seem to have the ones with the celebrities. Would you be able to send me those stills from the campaign?

85

information

adidas – the story of a logo The 3-Stripes mark is without doubt the quintessential adidas symbol. It was created by the adidas company founder, Adi Dassler, and first used on footwear in 1949. Dassler created a symbol that could be immediately recognized when his footwear was used in athletic competition and associated with adidas. He emphasized the association with the slogan “The Brand with the 3 Stripes”. The 3-Stripes were first used on apparel in 1967. The 3-Stripes now enjoy worldwide recognition as an adidas symbol.

In the late 60s adidas expanded into the leisure and apparel sector, and this prompted Käthe and Adi Dassler to seek a new, additional identification mark for the adidas brand. In August 1971, the Trefoil was born, out of more than 100 ideas. Inspired by the 3-Stripes, it is a geometric execution with a triple intersection, symbolizing the diversity of the adidas brand. This symbol was first used on adidas products in 1972, and later became the company’s corporate symbol. Today it plays the important role of representing the adidas Originals collection.

In 1997, adidas decided to introduce an integrated corporate design, choosing as the core element a new and yet familiar logo: the 3 bars. It was designed in 1990 by the then Creative Director Peter Moore, and initially used on the Equipment range of performance products. It is inspired by the 3-Stripes as they appear on footwear. The

Appendix 5: adidas Logo History

86

information

shape formed by the bars also represents a mountain, indicating the challenge to be faced and the goals to be achieved.

In August 1998, following the merger of adidas and Salomon, the then named adidas-Salomon AG introduced a new corporate logo. The logo unites the values of the brands of the Group, incorporating the typical colours of the two previous groups: blue for adidas, red for Salomon. The logo shows three shapes coming together to form a larger shape, namely a diamond. The space between the shapes forms another shape, that of a person with arms raised in victory and celebration. This logo appeared on all corporate documents of the then named adidas-Salomon AG, but not on products.

In July 2002, adidas-Salomon AG presented a revolutionary new business strategy for the adidas brand, aimed at expanding its customer base and driving top-line growth. The new structure marked a fundamental shift from the traditional “Footwear” and “Apparel” structure, introducing a new three-divisional approach with the “Sport Performance”, “Sport Heritage” and “Sport Style” divisions. The products in the adidas Sport Performance division are developed for the sports performance market but have design appeal, encouraging consumers to wear the products both on and off the court or playing field. The adidas Sport Heritage division contains adidas Originals products. Originals products seek to extend the adidas brand’s unique and authentic heritage to the lifestyle market. Design and functionality are already strong aspects of the two existing adidas divisions and are continued with an even stronger focus in the new Sport Style division.

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information

adidas Sport Style - the future in sportswear designed by Yohji Yamamoto is an exclusive collection, consisting of men’s and women’s footwear, apparel and accessories. It combines the mission of the sports brand with the vision of style to develop an unexpected and radical appeal. Yohji Yamamoto: “For me, this is an interesting and exciting new project on many levels. And, I always wanted my clothes to be accessible to… and desired by… a greater number of people, and I feel that it will be possible for me to achieve this through this new line.” In 2007, the Sport Heritage and Sport Style divisions merged into a single Sport Style division. The logos of the two divisions remain visible on the respective collections.

The corporate logo changed after the divestiture of Salomon in October 2005. The new logo of the adidas Group was launched in April 2006. The adidas Group logo is the umbrella under which all Group-owned brands stand. It brings adidas back to its roots by using the familiar adidas wordmark as a visual identity to the business community, strengthening image and impression. From a design perspective, the new logo is simple, clear, confident and shows leadership. It will support future business growth and is flexible enough to anticipate any unforeseen changes.

At the same time the adidas brand received a new logo to incorporate the divisions Sport Performance and Sport Style.

88

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The following chart shows all the brands gathered under the roof of the adidas Group:

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Appendix 6: Just for Kicks DVD

Since B-Boys first propelled them out of the New York City playgrounds in the 70’s, sneak-ers have morphed from a tool for athletic performance to Hip Hop’s cornerstone symbol of cool and an object of obsession for sneakers collectors world wide. Analyzing this global pop culture phenomenon, JUST FOR KICKS is the first film of its kind to present the underlying culture and personalities that fueled this fashion revolution and its $26 billion global market. Far from a formal history of the sneaker industry, JUST FOR KICKS offers a fun and colorful insider’s history of hip hop’s most treasured fashion item; revealing behind the scenes stories with exclusive testimonies, never before seen footage and the charismatic personalities that have come to influence pop culture.

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Appendix 8: adidas SS10 Campaign Stills Courtesy of adidas UK

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Inside Back cover

Digital Copy

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Back Cover