TBWA\London & TBWA\Neboko: adidas rallies the world to disarm negative pressure in sport

Fans are fickle. They cheer, adore and idolise players when things are going right. They pillory them when they’re not. Both polar opposites create pressure on athletes, on top of their own ambitions. adidas’ brand campaign, You Got This, by TBWA\London and TBWA\NEBOKO continues to disarm negative pressure in sport. The new campaign brings together the most famous from adidas’ global football family to show what is possible when managing the weight of expectation as excitement builds towards a summer of football.

Florian Alt, VP of global brand comms at adidas, explained, “We want to celebrate and support our players ahead of a huge summer of football as they continue to inspire the up-and-coming generation of athletes. This campaign serves to remind us all that pressure can be felt at any level, no matter the accolades or achievements. Our ambition remains to help disarm negative pressure in sport and encourage elite and grassroot players to reconnect with what ignited their love for the game. We hope our rallying cry, You Got This, invites athletes of all levels to overcome pressure and achieve their personal possibilities in sport.”

With South America’s leading football competition and EURO 2024 starting next month, the campaign highlights how international football can bring an added level of pressure – as well as excitement – to each player’s game. In fact, research shows that players are three times more likely to miss a penalty when playing for their nation as opposed to their club.

The new brand film is a series of fast-cut scenes interspersing both the highs of game play and close-up moments in which the players thoughts are palpable. Underlining the campaign message are Queen ft. David Bowie’s song, Under Pressure, a narration by David Beckham. The film stars both established stars, Lionel Messi, Jude Bellingham & Florian Wirtz andnext-gen trailblazers, all of whom are set to wear their country’s shirt this summer, Gianluigi Donnarumma, Giovanni Reyna, Ousmane Dembélé and Pedri. The campaign aims to inspire next-gen athletes to overcome pressure and fuel their love for the game.

A recent study by adidas and leading sport neuroscientists, neuro11, revealed the impact that pressure can have on the performance of elite and grassroots athlete. Dr Niklas Häusler, co-founder of neuro11, stated, “Pressure is universally felt by all athletes – even those playing at the top of the game, with research suggesting that the feeling is amplified when competing at international level – players are three times as likely to miss the goal when taking a penalty for their country than for their club team. However, our recent testing with a selection of adidas athletes revealed when the player has the right management techniques, they were up to 40% more effective at harnessing pressure during high-stake moments.3 By channelling their focus to implement their set routines, they can realize their biggest hopes his summer.”

England midfielder, Jude Bellingham, added, “When you first play for your national team, it comes with a higher level of pressure and one you have to adapt to quickly. From playing at a high level at such a young age, I’ve learnt pressure is more of a responsibility, it can be hard to play under pressure. The advice I live by is when the feeling of pressure arrives, you have to remember why you’re playing, for me, going into this summer’s tournament I’ll remember that I play for the love of the game and bring the feeling of pressure into the fold to push me to reach the highest level I can.”