Adidas knocks soccer giants off their pedestal in the brand's first work to debut out of new agency 72andSunny. The new ad, "Create Your Own," shows an aspiring football pro leveraging his creative skills to take on some of the sport's icons including Leo Messi, Gareth Bale, Thomas Muller, Mesut Ozil and James Rodriguez -- and even NBA pro Ricky Rubio.

"These are not just my heroes anymore; they're my competition," the young athlete says in the ad.

The spot, directed by Smuggler's Henry-Alex Rubin, touts the message that athletes need to "unfollow your heroes" and carve out their own path in order to achieve greatness.

"The game of soccer has changed and we want to celebrate the new, the different, the rule makers and innovators," Eric Liedtke, Adidas board member responsible for global brands, said in a statement. "'Create Your Own Game' is a compelling concept, inspiring the creators of today to push the game forward. It encapsulates the brand's vision that is relevant to all sports and athletes and encourages creators to think differently, take inspiration from heroes, but ultimately create their own game."

The new ad is part of the next phase of the Sport15 campaign, which Adidas launched in February with former agency 180 L.A. According to the brand statement, the 72andSunny work "represents a complete shift in how Adidas communicates as a company." The agency won the Adidas global account in March without review.

Read the full story on the new Adidas campaign on Adage.com.