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 Huddersfield School of Art & Design Department of Design Huddersfield West Yorkshire ENGLAND (8.02.2011)
Abstract
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.
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.............................................................................................................................................. 6 Rationale..................................................................................................................... 7 Aims and Objectives.................................................................................................... 8 Methodology............................................................................................................... 9 Demarcations..............................................................................................................10 1. Fashion and Music: In the Beginning...............................................................................11 1.1.
Introduction................................................................................................12
1.2.
Hear the Sound See the Style.......................................................................13
1.3.
The Sportswear Revolution..........................................................................17
1.3.1. Commercialism and Commoditisation of Subcultural Styles.........................20 1.3.2. Heritage Brands and the Quest for Authenticity............................................22 Summary.....................................................................................................................24 2. Tribal Instinct.............................................................................................................................25 2.1.
Introduction.................................................................................................26
2.2.
Tribes and Brand Community.......................................................................27
2.3.
Some Case Studies.......................................................................................28
2.3.1. My adidas is your adidas: The Run DMC Phenomenon..................................28 2.3.2. Tommy Hilfiger: Hip Hop Hurray?.................................................................32 2.3.3. Reebok: G-UNOT!.........................................................................................36 Summary.....................................................................................................................39 3. Every Trefoil Has a Story.......................................................................................................40 3.1.
Introduction.................................................................................................41
3.2.
Every Trefoil Does Have a Story: The Story Behind the adidas Originals Trefoil...............................................42
3.3.
adidas originals: Brand Overview.................................................................43
3.4.
adidas Originals and Popular music: Cultural Phenomenon to Marketing Extravaganza.........................................44
3.4.1. Marketing Strategy.......................................................................................46 3.4.2. The adidas Originals Team...........................................................................49 3.4.3. 2010: Key Trends........................................................................................50 3.5.
SS10 Campaign Overview.............................................................................51
3.5.1. Celebrating Originality: Marketing Communications Strategy.......................53 3.5.2. Communications Media and Media Plan.......................................................53 Summary.....................................................................................................................55
4. Street Where Originality Lives...........................................................................................56 4.1.
Introduction................................................................................................57
4.1.1. Campaign Film............................................................................................58 4.2.
Campaign Launch.......................................................................................61
4.2.1. Media Vehicles............................................................................................61 4.3.
Engaging the Consumer: Post-Launch Activities and Entertainment Marketing....................................64
4.3.1. Mini Case Study: adidas Originals x N dubz................................................64 Summary....................................................................................................................67 5. The Verdict.................................................................................................................................68 5.1.
Introduction................................................................................................69
5.2.
Media Implementation Statistics and Results...............................................70
5.2.1. Meet My Street............................................................................................70 5.2.2. Street Where Originality Lives Commercial..................................................70 5.2.3. N Dubz : JD Trunk Show (N Dubz x JD Sports Commercial) and PR Activity.................71 5.3.
Campaign Evaluation..................................................................................71
5.3.1. Strengths....................................................................................................71 5.3.2. Weaknesses................................................................................................72 Summary....................................................................................................................73 Now All is Said and Done (Conclusion).......................................................................................74 Appendices..............................................................................................................................................77 References...............................................................................................................................................103
INTRODUCTION ‘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)
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Rationale 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.
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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
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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.
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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.
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1. Fashion& Music: In the Beginning...
Momma always says there’s an awful lot you could tell about a person by their shoes’ - Forest Gump (Zemeckis,1994)
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1. 1. Introduction 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.
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1. 2. Hear the Style, See the Sound 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’:
“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.
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Fig. 1. Flapper Circa 1920s
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. 2. Young Zooties wearing Zoot Suits (Sims, 1999, p.18)
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Fig. 3. Ragga Girl in Batty Rider shorts Photo by Winston Sill (Tulloch, 2004, p.73)
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. 4. London Punk (Polhemus, 1997, p.92)
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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 Side Bar 1: Cultural Capital (Further with certain cultural commodity; dress thus, provides explanation) visual representation of the wearer’s lifestyle – likes, Capital in economics is a factor of production which is used 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.
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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.’
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.
1.3. The Sportswear Revolution 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.
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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
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Fig. 9. Skater (Polhemus, 1997, p.86)
Fig. 10. BBoys Photo by Jamal Shabazz
Fig. 11. Salt ‘n’ Pepa, Official Fly Girls
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1.3.1.
Commercialism and Commoditisation of Subcultural Styles 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 antifashion 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.
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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)
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1.3.2. Heritage Brands and the Quest for Authenticity 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).
Fig. 15. O’Neil Logo
- 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).
Fig. 16. Fred Perry Logo
- 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 Fig. 17. adidas Originals Logo (See chapter three for more on adidas Originals’ heritage). 22
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, 1986 Photo by: Edet Roberts (Tulloch, 2004, p.63)
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Summary 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.
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2. Tribal Instinct: ‘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)
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2.1. Introduction 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.
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2.2. Tribes and Brand Community 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.
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2.3. Some Case Studies 2.3.1. My adidas is Your adidas: The Run DMC Phenomenon
Fig. 19. Run DMC
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-adelic 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’.
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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).
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
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).
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Fig. 20. Run DMC
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).
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Fig. 21. Run DMC
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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).
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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.
Fig. 22. Snoop Dogg on Saturday Night Live (1994)
Fig. 23. Snoop Dogg with Helen Hunt on Saturday Night Live3(1994)
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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
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Fig. 26. Aaliyah in Tommy Hilfiger’s 1996/1997 Campaign
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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)
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Fig. 27. 50 Cent Reebok I am What I am campaign
Fig. 28. Jay Z I am What I am campaign
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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.
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Summary 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). 39
3. Every Trefoil has a Story adidas Originals: the original lifestyle brand, born in sport heritage but living in contemporary lifestyles - adidas-Group (2009,www.adidas-group.com)
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3.1. Introduction
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?
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3.2. Every Trefoil does have a Story: The Story behind the adidas Originals Trefoil 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 Side-Bar 4: Trefoil particular), the Trefoil can be looked at as the ‘humble object’ that can and has been ‘magically appropriated’ The term ‘ trefoil’ (Latin= trifolium which means ‘three-leaf plant) is (p.18) by adidas. The adidas trefoil with its 3 ‘leaves’, very symbolic in nature; the Irish symbolizes the diversity of the brand. Unlike youth Shamrock (three-leaf clover) is a subcultures where the ‘objects’ tend to carry secret national symbol, Christians use the trefoil to symbolise The Trinmeanings which are left to the public to ‘decode’, the ity i.e. the Father, Son and Holy brand logo (the trefoil in this case), is created ‘so that it Ghost. The term is also very popular in Gothic architecture. 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).
Fig. 29 adidas Trefoil Logo
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Fig. 30 adidas 3-Bars Logo
3.3. 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)
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3.4. 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 Side Bar: 5 as the indie community in recent times). This adidas Originals Consumer Profiles: relationship marked the start of new beginnings for the brand as it created an awareness of the market 1. Style Leaders and Influencers for lifestyle products and introduced the brand to This adidas Originals consumer is a a new psychographic and target consumer; style young male or female that is highly leaders, setters and adopters. 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.
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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.
Fig. 31. adidas Originals Respect ME
Fig. 32. adidas Originals Respect ME
Fig. 33. adidas Originals Respect ME
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3.4.1. Marketing Strategy 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
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Activation and validation via a relevant set of promotion partnerships.
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Extend brand reach and appeal through strategic partnerships.
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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.
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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. 35. adidas Originals SS10 campaign stills Photo by Ari Marcopoulos
Fig. 34. adidas Originals SS10 campaign stills Photo by Ari Marcopoulos
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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 Shot Photo by Shaughnessy, R.J (2008)
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3.4.2. adidas Originals Team 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
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3.4.3. 2010 Key Trends 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.’
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3.5. 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 soundtracked 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
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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. Fig. 37. Sid Lee Logo 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
Fig. 38. Nima Nourizadeh
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. -
Fig. 39. Pilooski
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). 52
Fig. 40. Ari Marcopoulos
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 abovethe-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
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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)
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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.
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4.
Street Where Originality Lives ‘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)
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4.1. Introduction 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
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4.1.1. Campaign Film 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.
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Celebrity Name Adrienne Bailon
Nationality American
Agyness Deyn Ana Ivanovic Calle 13 Cheer Chen Cassandra Steen Ciara Daft Punk Darth Vader David Beckham DJ Neil Armstrong Fernando Verdasco Hyori Lee Ian Brown Jay Baruchel Jeremy Scott Louise Roe
British Serbian Puerto Rican Taiwanese German American French American British American Spanish South-Korean British Canadian American British
Mr. Hudson N-Dubz Noel Gallagher Peridot Snoop Dogg Storm Trooper Tallulah Morton Unity Whitney Port
British British British British American American Australian British American
Profession Actress, Singer-songwriter, TV Personality Model Athlete (Tennis) Band (Hip hop) Singer-songwriter, guitarist, Pianist Singer Musician Band (Electro) Star Wars Character Athlete (Footballer) Disc Jockey Athlete (Tennis) Musician (hip-hop and R&B) & Actress Musician (Rock) Actor Fashion Designer TV Presenter, Fashion Journalist and Model Musician Band (Hip-hop and R&B) Musician (Rock) Street Dance Crew Musician Star Wars Character Model Street Dance Crew TV Personality, Fashion Designer
Table 1: Celebrities and Personalities in Street Where Originality Lives
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Fig. 41. Agyness Deyn & Jeremy Scott
Fig. 42. Agyness Deyn
Fig. 43. Snoop Dogg
Street Where Originality Lives campaign stills
Fig. 44. Mr. Hudson
Fig. 46. Fixed Gear Bikers
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Fig. 45. Whitney Port
Fig. 47. Skaters
4.2. Campaign Launch 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 allexpense 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.
4.2.1. Media Vehicles ---
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.
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Meet My S treet – Campaign Timings Skins R oadblock – Mar ch 18th Skins F inale E 4 announce promo s pot & advert
R ick Edwards drives to meetmys treet.com
Originals Mas her App F acebook P age
R ick E dwards Intro Comp B ackground
Her o Spot
R ick’s 60 s ec Urban Montage Clip
Channel 4 mini comp Site Drive to Facebook page B log Card on adidas.com
March - J une
J uly
Us er s create and s ubmit entr ies
Gig on Your Original Street
Fig. 48. Meet My Street Campaign Timings courtesy of adidas UK
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Internet Marketing Via: -
adidas Originals website: www.adidas.com/originals
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Channel 4 website: www.channel 4.com
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TV on Demand: 4oD (4 on Demand), Sky Sports
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adidas Originals YouTube page
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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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4.3. Engaging the Consumer: Post-Launch Activities and Entertainment Marketing 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.
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Fig. 49. N Dubz Augmented Reality adidas Neigbourhood
adidas Originals ‘neighbourhood’ Reality Activation (January 2010)
Augmented
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)
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?
- 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.
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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.
Fig. 50. adidas/JD N Dubz gig banner
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 minicameras, 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.
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Summary 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.
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5. The Verdict: ‘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)
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5.1. Introduction 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
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5.2. Media Implementation Statistics and Results 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.
5.2.1. 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)
5.2.2. 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.
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5.2.3. 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.
5.3. Campaign Evaluation: 5.3.1. 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
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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 postlaunch 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’. 72
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 nontraditional 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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6. Now allis Said& Done
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)
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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 longterm 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. Aims The 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 Methodology Primary Research Primary 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: o Paola Lucktung :Senior Manager, Entertainment and Influencer Marketing (EIM), adidas UK o Rachel Kirby :Ex Manager, Entertainment and Influencer Marketing (EIM), adidas UK o Gary Aspden (Trend Marketing Manager, adidas UK) o Richard Castillo: A&R, Shalit Global, NDUBZ Manager o Ivy Weir Ikpeme: Celebrity Fashion Stylist o Richard Shoyemi: Celebrity Fashion Stylist o Trevor Nelson: DJ and Presenter o Jean Marc Lehu: Associate Professor in Marketing and Director of Advanced Graduate Studies in Logistics at Panthéon Sorbonne University, Paris o Justin Cader; Brand Comms. At adidas UK • Journals • Documentation provided by companies Secondary Research Secondary 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 • Introduction Aims and Objectives Rationale Demarcations Methodology 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 Two This 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 Four Chapter 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 Five This 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 6 Conclusion/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 / Booklist • Agins, T. (2000), The End of Fashion: The Mass Marketing of the Clothing Business, Harper Collins New York • Tungate, M. (2008), Fashion Brands: Branding Style From Armani to Zara, Kogan Page: London • Frisa, M., Tonchi, S. (2004), Excess: Fashion and the underground in the 80s, Charta: Milan • Salazar, L. (2008), Fashion v Sport London V&A Publishing • Slater D. (2003), Consumer Culture and Modernity, Blackwell Publishing Ltd: Oxford • Hess M. (2010), Hip Hop in America: a regional Guide, Greenwood Press: California • Shepherd, 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 A. Justin Cader: Brand Communications Executive at adidas Area North Campaign Planning and Execution 09.12.10 1. What was the inspiration and objectives of the 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. 2. What factors were taken into consideration in the planning of the campaign (Political, 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. 3. How was the campaign ‘rolled out’? The campaign was rolled out using the following media plans:• • • • • • •
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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
Meet My S treet – Campaign Timings Skins R oadblock – Mar ch 18th Skins F inale E 4 announce promo s pot & advert
R ick Edwards drives to meetmys treet.com
Originals Mas her App F acebook P age
R ick E dwards Intro Comp B ackground
Her o Spot
R ick’s 60 s ec Urban Montage Clip
Channel 4 mini comp Site Drive to Facebook page B log Card on adidas.com
March - J une
J uly
Us er s create and s ubmit entr ies
Gig on Your Original Street
4. What communications media were used and why? • 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 once • People 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
5. How were the celebrities used in the campaign selected? I wasn’t part of this process I’m afraid so can’t comment. 6. You mentioned that ‘EIM don’t pay anyone’. Is this also applicable to the brand 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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7. What makes the 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. 8. adidas is one of the only sportswear brands that has managed to maintain a 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. 9. How did you measure the rate if returns of the campaign? I’m afraid I won’t be able to publish these as they are P&C
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B. Akua Agymefra: Senior EIM Manager at adidas Sports Style division Campaign Planning and Execution 1. What part did EIM play in the production of the SS10 campaign? EIM provided the celebrity talent – both existing brand ambassadors and those new to the brand. 2. What factors were taken into consideration when selecting the celebrities and 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.
3. The Street Where Originality Lives campaign was a year-long campaign. What activities 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. 4. What is the reason behind song selection for the Street Where Originality Lives 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 5. What makes the campaign relevant on a global scale? 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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6. What role does adidas play in popular music culture (and vice-versa) and how does 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. 7. How is the rate of returns of the campaign measured? Across sales first and foremost and the accolades achieved with the success. Ndubz 8. From my experience at adidas, I know there was a great deal of issues (or controversy) 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?
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Appendix 5: adidas Logo History
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 85
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 adidasSalomon 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. 86
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.
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information
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, sneakers 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. 89
Appendix 8: adidas SS10 Campaign Stills Courtesy of adidas UK
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References
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Digital Copy Inside Back cover
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Back Cover