New Adidas Ad Celebrates Bumpy Journey to Greatness

Pat Benson
·2 min read
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Following the exhilarating men's and women's NCAA Basketball Tournaments, adidas has released an ad that defies tradition and celebrates the often-bumpy journey to greatness.

Narrated by adidas athlete partner Candace Parker, the video spot walks through the joy of making the tournament and the feeling of defeat when you’re knocked out. It reminds student-athletes that the tournament is about more than just winning. It’s about the experience the family created and the next steps to greatness.

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“Hey, college hero. You got a ticket to the party. You got up on stage. You got hyped. You got a couple wins, an upset. You got ‘are we sure they're ready for this moment?’ You got tight, a little unlucky. You got humbled, heartbroken. You got beat.

You got some perspective. You got an education in the game. You got brothers, sisters, family. You got fuel. You got sauce, grit, soul. You got no problem getting back in the lab. You got a match. You got fire. You got intentions to be back and you got work to do. You got this.”

The new spot comes on the heels of the brand’s activation in Cleveland for the Women’s Tournament, including:

  • A clinic for 200 middle school girls from the Cleveland Middle School District involving on-court drills, a yoga/meditation workshop, and a panel discussion featuring Ari Chambers, LaChina Robinson, Erica Wheeler, and Isis Haywood discussing their careers within basketball, the doors its unlocked for them, the sisterhood and family that comes along with it.

  • A panel discussion in partnership with PassThaBall and Hoops York City (founded by Alex Taylor) to provide a platform in Cleveland for student-athletes to play in a national game and hear from professional athletes featuring Erica Wheeler and Natalie Achonwa in an effort to guide the next generation of female ballers to aspire in both their athleticism and their academics.

Related: Behind the Scenes of Adidas TWISTKNIT & TWISTWEAVE Development