OWN A PIECE OF HISTORY WITH ADIDAS
adidas Launches Exclusive eBay Auction to Raise Money for Nelson Mandela’s 46664 Charity
Today adidas, Official Sponsor of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, unveiled a new painting of Nelson Mandela kicking a football as part of its ongoing 46664 auction on e-bay. The painting – based on a historical photograph of Madiba, was signed by South African celebrities who endorse the 46664 auction. The adidas / 46664 auction is an exclusive opportunity for football fans in South Africa and all over the world, to own a piece of unique FIFA World Cup™ history while supporting the Nelson Mandela, 46664 charity organisation at the same time.
“As the worlds leading football brand and Official Sponsor of the tournament, it was very important for us to leave a legacy here. It’s why we have chosen 46664 as our partner. This partnership allows us to utilize the platform of the FIFA World Cup to raise funds and awareness for the great work the Nelson Mandela Foundation is doing all over South Africa,” says Thomas van Schaik, Head of Global PR at adidas.
adidas is hosting an eBay auction where fans can bid to own a number of unique portrait paintings with highlights which include a distinctive paintings of Bafana Bafana star midfielder Steven Pienaar, England captain Steven Gerard, Spanish top scorer David Villa, Dutch winger Arjen Robben, Uruguay’s Diego Forlán, Germany’s Lukas Podolski and many other major stars of this years FIFA World Cup. Also featured is an emotive painting called ‘The First Whistle’ which immortalises the moment when Bafana Bafana began the tournament standing united as one with the first touch of the Jabulani match ball and millions united across the country, the nation gathered to watch the first FIFA World Cup™ take place on African soil.
Other iconic paintings include the moment before Bafana Bafana kicked off the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ tournament, when the team gathered together in a huddle around midfielder Steven Pienaar to create an intense moment as they prepared themselves for the biggest game in the history of African football.
Ruth Rensburg, a key spokesperson for the 46664 Foundation, says that the partnership with adidas started with the sale of the yellow headbands; UMU’s. A UMU is a unique yellow item that was aimed at encouraging South Africans to unite behind the FIFA World Cup and the South African national team –Bafana Bafana. “We are very excited by the various initiatives that we have developed with adidas. For us the legacy that will be left behind after the FIFA World Cup is what attracted us to this partnership,” she says.
All unique pieces of art have been created by the adidas 2010 FIFA World Cup™ artist team, Paul Junior Kasemwana and Espoir Kennedy. The two brilliant, up and coming African artists who are permanently based at Jo’bulani Central, adidas’ PR headquarters during the tournament. They are creating daily paintings which capture those moments on the pitch that make history – a wonder goal, a penalty shoot out, pure elation, the pain of defeat, individual brilliance or simply a legendary team effort – these incredible moments form the adidas Live Quest, seamlessly complementing adidas’ 2010 FIFA World Cup campaign.
The two artists produce ‘Live Quest’ daily paintings showcasing key moments from the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ matches. Since the start of the tournament 21 daily highlights have been created.
The 46664 / adidas auction on E-bay also includes Steven Pienaar’s signed group stage shirt, 32 individual player portraits, The Quest featuring 32 players from the 32 federations playing at the FIFA World Cup™ in one painting, the Live Quest paintings and also the actual adidas Jo’bulani FIFA World Cup™ Official Final Match Ball which will be used in the FIFA World Cup final on July 11th.
Each Live Quest painting is 270cm wide by 210cm high. These paintings, alongside the 32 individual player portraits and the other limited edition adidas FIFA World Cup™ lots, will be auctioned via www.ebay.co.uk/adidas46664auction throughout the tournament culminating on Monday the 12th July with the adidas Jo’bulani FIFA World Cup™ Official Final Match Ball. All proceeds go to the Nelson Mandela 46664 Foundation. The auction closes on Nelson Mandela Day; July 18, 2010.
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