And it has for some time: Adidas has created the last 10 World Cup balls, and has been an official sponsor for more than 40 years. In soccer branding terms, Nike is a relative upstart: Adidas is the heritage brand, going all the way back to a match in Bern, Switzerland, in 1954, when founder Adi Dassler had the idea to give the German National Soccer team screw-in studs on their shoes, helping them keep their footing in inclement weather and win against Hungary.
That heritage also means some well-established business relationships. Industry rumours had it that Nike offered the German team double what adidas was paying to convince it to switch its contract and wear Nike uniforms – to no avail.
“The history there, it would be like buying the propeller logo away from BMW,” said Mark Harrison, president of Toronto-based marketing firm TrojanOne Ltd., which counts Nike and Coca-Cola among its clients.
Nike may have been smart to save the money it would have paid for the FIFA partnership, spending it instead on viral marketing – even if the ad started rumours of a curse, said Mr. Tuchman, the marketing executive.
Any brand that can tie itself to the tournament stands to benefit immensely. With all eyes on the world’s most popular game, every player is a billboard with a global reach.
“You get major marketers taking it to a different level,” Mr. Harrison said. “The World Cup is the greatest sporting event in the world. It’s greater than the Olympics.”
Uniformly visible: Nike and adidas have dressed most of the World Cup teams
Adidas may have its name all over the soccer pitch, thanks to its official partnership with FIFA; but both the soccer giant and its rival, Nike, have spread the money around to outfit 22 of the 32 teams with uniforms – turning every player into a marketing opportunity.
Team Nike
Eliminated Goals scored
The Netherlands* 12
Brazil quarter-final 9
Portugal second round 7
USA second round 5
South Korea second round 6
Australia first round 3
New Zealand first round 2
Serbia first round 2
Slovenia first round 3
England** second round 3
Team Adidas
Spain* 7
Germany semi-final 13
Argentina quarter-final 10
France first round 1
Mexico second round 4
Paraguay quarter-final 3
Slovakia second round 5
Japan second round 4
Greece first round 2
Nigeria first round 3
South Africa first round 3
Denmark first round 3
*The Netherlands and Spain are in the final on Sunday.
**England's uniform is manufactured by Umbro, which was bought out by Nike in 2007.
