Adidas Republic of Sports launches in China

Winning over this technology savvy audience will be no walk in the park. China’s billions of consumers are spoilt for choice when it comes to branded experiences and activations and there’s nothing a Chinese millennial loves more than a great selfie opportunity.

A month long event created at such a grand scale is a sure-fire way to ensure you get serious footfall, huge numbers of eyeballs and a social media sensation to ensure the crowds keep coming. However, to be successful Adidas needed to provide more than selfie moments and that’s why Republic of Sports is so significant.

Creating an event that enables participation, competitions, famous athletes, interactive technology, gadgets and a shopping experience, all the while offering an escape from scorching temperatures outside the sports complex, was a stroke of genius. This was an event certain to attract an enthralled audience and very smart work by Adidas and TBWA.

As TBWAShanghai Client Service Director Elaine Hui, told brandchannel, “Shanghai is a sophisticated market and consumers here are very well-trained. They are exposed to new technology, trends, and ideas. When it comes to brand interaction and grabbing their attention, they demand the best as they have so many choices on hand.”

“And they won’t be satisfied with your “Click to buy” so brands must create a real experience and build bonds with them. That’s especially true for certain categories, and Adidas is one of those. Interactive experience is just one of the great tactics to grab people’s attention. So ROS is a pretty cool interactive experience to engage consumers.”

The strategy was to reposition Adidas as just a clothing brand and establish it as a sports and fitness brand by immersing consumers in the experiences the clothing is made for. It’s the old adage, “show, don’t tell” demonstrated at its very best. By creating a cool and fun series of activities and events, Adidas has shown audiences how to enjoy its products and that lesson could prove immensely valuable for the brand.

Adidas is a brand on a mission to own sports and fitness in China and Republic of Sports is an exceptional play by the brand