Evaluation / Brief 1 / D&AD Brief / Adidas Brief

The final outcomes for this brief have taken me a considerable amount of time to do due to getting very critical feedback from the former global brand manager of adidas which if I was in the first year I would of possibly just wrote it down and never come back to the brief, however as the feedback was only going to benefit my design work, I felt it was important to change all the changes that I could possibly do which has made my campaign a lot stronger and more global.

The design work for this campaign is aesthetically spot on, I could see Adidas running with the message, The campaign definitely fits well with adidas brand history because of the research I looked into. 

The feedback that was given has drastically improved this project and I feel that negative feedback is the best possible feedback you could possibly get not only have I managed to gain feedback from someone who’s been in the industry but also I’ve managed to keep in contact with him via email.

Personally, I don’t really have many faults with this brief, however, time schedule has become a problem a little due to doing this brief whilst doing my dissertation and also gaining feedback that made me change the whole campaign name meaning every small detail needed to be changed.  

This project has allowed me to focus more on branding and to research into a brand core meaning allowing me to create a strong campaign for the d&ad brief

Brief 1 / D&AD Brief / Adidas Brief / Development

As the brand identity for the campaign is done the next important asset is promoting it through posters as they're a great way of getting a message out there and noticed.

It's important that I aim the campaign towards people who are passionate about football as the campaign will create the most impact in this sport. Adidas want the target audience to be between 17-25 this will allow me to create a campaign that looks slick and stylish but also delivering a message that will make people think.

I will be using professional footballers that have had experiences in the past with discrimination this will help build the brand awareness but also keeping the core of adidas which is constantly observing what can be improved or even invented to support their needs.

Mario Ballotelli - I am a naturalised Italian, but I'm from Ghana. I suffer from racism every day. I am the first black to wear the jersey of Italy. I'm not angry, but my life experiences make me act differently from other people. Then, try to learn more about me before you criticise me. I feel Italian, only Italian, I love Italy and I will play only with an Italian shirt”

As the Majority of the high-quality footballer's photos are taken on a football pitch, I decided to pen tool them out of the image which was a long process, however, this something that adidas would do with any of there campaigns, if they're looking to stand out from the rest. The reason for cutting the players out of the football pitch, allows me to insert a photo that represents their country instead of the typical green grass pitch.  

Examples of using the pen tool and the long progress.

The Final Image displays Ballotelli representing his country as can be seen in the background. I Felt the tagline in the bottom corner (#italyisequal) allows social media play a roll in advertising the campaign. 

Now that I have completed one poster, it made it much easier for me to carry the style on with other countries and footballers as I know what type of images I am looking for. I began doing research into different locations that footballers came from as I wanted the campaign to be worldwide. it's also worthwhile for me to do a little bit of research into the location I am planning to place these posters and the types of people that would see them, as this could help influence the consumer.

Brief 1 / D&AD Brief / Adidas Brief / Initial Ideas / Typography

Campaign Title - We're all Equal

Circular is very much in the spotlight at the moment. It has a distinct look to it that so many huge companies are using such as Google. Circular is modern and geometric, but friendly and approachable. It’s suitable for large and small text sizes which would help advertise the campaign to its full potential. However, after receiving feedback from fellow peers using the adidas font would be the most suitable as it stays true to the brand tone of voice.

Circular Typeface

Adidas Typeface

Final Main Visual for the campaign

Brief 1 / D&AD Brief / Adidas Brief / Initial Ideas

Logo Branding: The Art of Repetition



The example above of Shepard Fairey’s “Obey Giant” campaign, took many years and hard work to create thousands upon thousands of posters, travel to cities around the world, and find locations to post them.

I will need to consider when building a campaign for Adidas. It takes dedication, a repeated message, and creative content. The more content that is being created the more a brand’s logo is being seen. The brand culture begins to form based on the type of content that is being generated. The content should always live inside the core repeatable message that has been outlined to launch a brand’s cultural reach. Using the three stripes as the main focal point with the campaign title repeated three times will work effectively as it's using the history of adidas but also using the same strategy as Shepard Fairey's campaign.

Brief 1 / D&AD Brief / Adidas Brief / Adidas Relationship Research

THE ATHLETES’ TRUST

Adidas have managed to earn the trust of world-class athletes through the decades by Producing innovative products that make them better. Adi Dassler’s secret to success had an additional personal ingredient: he met with athletes some of them even as visitors in Herzogenaurach), listened carefully to what they said and constantly observed what can be improved or even invented to support their needs. athletes trusted adidas and its founder from the beginning, This hasn't change throughout the decades.

Brief 1 / D&AD Brief / Adidas Brief / Adidas History Research

In order to begin the idea generation process, I felt it important to research past of adidas to get a feel for what has been successful in the past. I began my research by analysing the three logos that exist within the company, This would allow me to get a better understanding of how adidas has been promoted and how my campaign can keep within the guidelines but having my own unique proposal.

Logo #1: The Three Stripes

This logo does not have a specific look. The company simple placed three black stripes on everything that they manufactured. Even this early in their history, the company was known for this branding. The owner of the company at the time liked to call his business “The three stripe company”.

Logo #2: The Trefoil

The trefoil was the second Adidas logo. The theme of three stripes is still evident in the look, both in the leave that shoot out from the logo, and the three stripes that cross it diagonally. This logo was chosen because the company wanted a logo that represented the fact that their brand was a lot larger and more diverse than it used to be while still keeping the classic Adidas look.

This logo is still used on some of their products, particularly their line of classic products. Most of their high-performance products have moved on to a third and final logo.

Logo #3: The Three Bars

This logo is the latest one that has been introduced, and it represents some of the finest equipment that Adidas sells. This logo more than the others is supposed to have a lot of meaning. The company wanted to keep the three stripes that they were known for, but also add something to give the logo some power.

This new logo is supposed to resemble a mountain like it is challenging the people who buy Adidas products to push themselves to their limits. This latest logo appears on many pieces of sports equipment and the new logo is still instantly and obviously “Adidas” to anyone who sees it.

It became clear that even when a new logo took the place of the old ones, the company would remain loyal to the three stripes look. This would be a good starting position to use the three stripes for the identity for the campaign as it will be easily recognisable as adidas.   

Brief 1 / D&AD Brief / Adidas Brief / Campaign Research

Say No to Racism - The campaign is to eliminate racism, discrimination and intolerance 
from football.The No to Racism message aims to increase public awareness of intolerance and discrimination in football, as well as developing ideas and strategies on how to fight them. On the club competition matchday dedicated to the campaign, team captains wear No to Racism armbands, anti-racism messages are played over clubs' public address systems and a video containing player testimonials backing the campaign is shown in stadiums. A No to Racism pennant is also prominently on show, held by players. At the start of every match, 'No to Racism' banners are prominently displayed on the pitch.

This campaign has a very strong concept however, I feel more can be done, racism is just one part of the issue! what about people who have disabilities and people who are treated differently in the way they look. Also, footballers who are scared of coming out gay as they think it could potentially affect their career shouldn't feel this way as everyone is equal!

Brief 1 / D&AD Brief / Adidas Brief

Use the power of sport as a catalyst for change, with an innovative Adidas product, service, brand experience or campaign for 17-25-year-olds in a key city. What can adidas do for or with them to improve the fabric of their city?

Your idea could be rooted in the life-transforming nature of sport, or you could explore the potential for sport-based activities to impact on other city issues.
Focus on one, more or all of adidas’ key cities (Paris, London, Berlin, LA, New York, Shanghai, Tokyo, Moscow). The sport(s) can be any that adidas have an established connection to. And the issues to address are up to you. What’s the relationship between the city, the sport, the issue? Tell us why you made your choices.
Make sure what you do is true to the brand. Dial into the city’s environment to find a meaningful way for adidas to make a tangible, lasting impact in people’s communities and lives. 

The Target Audience will be aimed at 17-25-year-olds around the world who are passionate about the sport. I will need to consider that Adidas wants to see big, bold ambition, clearly grounded message.

The Campaign will need to look at a universal issue, using sport as the key.