Adidas tackles pressure of youth sports in trio of compelling ads

Pressure is part of sports. There’s no getting around it—but you can reframe it. That’s the message from Adidas in three new nicely crafted commercials from Opinionated. Each spot presents a high-stakes sports moment in youth sports, then pauses the action so seasoned pros can remind the kids why they’re playing in the first place—to have fun and not worry so much about the pressure, just as they’ve always done playing wastepaper basketball or paper football. “You got this,” says the end line. The spots feature football star Patrick Mahomes and basketball pros Aliyah Boston and Anthony Edwards. Derek Cianfrance, who always bring an immersive, artful feel to his sports advertising, directed. The soundtrack is the apt “Under Pressure” by Queen ft. David Bowie. The ads are really about self-belief, enjoying the moment and using pressure as a motivator—rather than fearing it and allowing negative feelings to dominate. It’s a topic any kid playing youth sports today can relate to. In fact, it’s a central dynamic in whether kids continue to love the game or start to see it as a chore. And it’s framed here in the simplest, most compelling way possible. “Sport is about more than winning. It’s about the love of the game and the joy that sport brings,” said Chris Murphy, senior VP of brand communications at Adidas. “Adidas strives to help athletes at all levels understand how they can excel in the face of pressure, and we empower players to foster a positive mindset and focus on the fun. Just breathe and remember, you got this." The “You Got This” campaign launched around Super Bowl time earlier this year. More Creativity coverage from Ad Age: Sign up for our daily Creativity newsletter to see the best stories of the day.

Adidas tackles pressure of youth sports in trio of compelling ads

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