NIKE WRITE THE FUTURE (THE MAKING OF)
You have all seen the brilliant new Nike ‘Write the Future’ ad campaign featuring the likes of Rooney, Ronaldo, Ronaldinho and Ribery. You may have been one of the unlucky ones to have only seen part of it thanks to ITV’s blunder during the UEFA Champions League final… (If you are still wondering how it ends, check out the full video here.)
Well now you can go behind the scenes and take a look at some of the inspiration and hard work that went into creating this giant campaign.
ADIDAS EXTEND NIGERIA SPONSORSHIP
adidas and Nigerian Football Federation announce the extension of their sponsorship deal until 2014
adidas and the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) announced the extension of their sponsorship deal until the end of 2014. Partners since 2005, adidas supplies all national teams of the NFF.
Nigeria’s U-23 team represented their country at the 2008 Olympic Games and was the runner-up in the final. The U-17 team became World Champions in 2007 wearing the 3-stripes and finished in second place two years later.
The Super Eagles will be one of the six African teams at the 2010 FIFA World Cup™.
“The extension of our sponsorship deal with the Nigerian Football Federation confirms a long-term commitment. Having one of the greatest African football nations with a rich tradition like Nigeria under contract is crucial to us. With the constant success of Nigerian youth teams we are looking forward to a bright future with the Super Eagles,” said Claus-Peter Mayer, Vice President Global Sports Marketing Football at adidas.
“It makes us proud to have the leading football brand in the world as our sponsor for the upcoming World Cup. The extension of this partnership is particularly important to us as it allows us to count on their support at major tournaments in the future,” commented Sani Lulu Abdullahi, President of the Nigerian Football Federation.
As the Official Sponsor of the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ in South Africa , adidas will supply the Official Match Ball of the tournament and will outfit the officials, referees, volunteers and ball boys. In addition, adidas has partnerships with the participating federations Argentina, Germany, Japan, Mexico, France, Spain, Denmark, Slovakia, Paraguay, Greece and the host country’s federation South Africa.
Amongst its most prominent players in the tournament adidas counts FIFA World Player of the Year Lionel Messi, Kaká, Steven Gerrard, Michael Ballack, David Villa and Steven Pienaar.
BOLT SUPPORTS AFRICA UNITY
Bolt to Wear “PUMA Africa Unity” colours to support World Cup qualified African football teams
When Usain Bolt, the world’s fastest man, races in striking new Lava spikes at the 2010 IAAF Diamond League Series in Shanghai , China on May 23 he will show his support of the African football teams headed to the World Cup.
The Jamaican sprinter’s brown and blue race singlet will bear the same graphics as the Africa Unity Kit – the World’s first continental football kit – which many PUMA sponsored African football teams have been wearing to show solidarity for the continent of Africa.
The debut of this unique singlet follows on the heels of International Biodiversity Day, which is celebrated on May 22nd.
“Football is one of my favourite sports and I’m looking forward to watching the World Cup. Last year I had a chance to meet Samuel Eto’o and some of the other African footballers. It’s an honour to wear the same colours during the Shanghai meet that PUMA’s African football teams have been wearing. This is one way that I can cheer them on from afar. Whether we play football or run track, we’re all united as proud athletes representing our countries,” Bolt said.
Bolt will also wear the new PUMA Lava Spike shoe which incorporates the technology that helped him shatter the 100m and 200m world records in Berlin last year. One of the lightest sprint spikes, the new lava flow design represents the power at the Earth’s core.
Bolt will also be showing his support for the 2010 International Year of Biodiversity – a United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) initiative which generates awareness of habitat and species conservation.
In January 2010 PUMA and UNEP launched the Africa Unity Kit, the world’s first continental football kit and proceeds from the sale of the replica fanwear help fund biodiversity programmes in Africa.
The Africa Unity Kit has been recognized as the official third kit for PUMA’s 13 sponsored African teams, four of which have qualified for World Cup ( Cameroon , Algeria , Ghana and Ivory Coast ). The brown and blue kit colours represent the African soil and sky – and the shade of brown was custom created by mixing soil samples from four African nations.
Bolt’s May 23rd race is highly anticipated as it marks his first race of the 2010 IAAF Diamond League season.
PRINGLES’ ‘PRINGOALS’ CAMPAIGN
Pringles have launched a new campiagn called ‘Pringoals’. We all know Peter Crouch’s famous ‘robot’ celebration. Now see Crouchy, Anelka, Fabregas and Kuyt in celebration.
Take a look behind the scenes of the ad featuring Anelka, Crouch, Fabregas and Kuyt
PUMA ANNOUNCES ‘AFRICA UNITY EXPERIENCE’
Sportlifestyle Company to Host Cameroon, Ghana and Ivory Coast Football Teams in Paris for Exhibition Game Before World Cup™
PUMA to Host Free Concert Featuring Africa Express Artists
PUMA announce that they will host the ‘Africa Unity Experience’ in Paris from May 28-29 as the brand’s kick-off for World Cup. It will include an Africa Unity Exhibition Game at 6pm on Friday May 28 when players from Cameroon, Ghana and Ivory Coast will participate in an exhibition match in front of a capacity crowd at the Stade Michel Hidalgo.
There will also be a free concert sponsored by PUMA and curated by Africa Express at 7.30pm on Friday May 28. Africa Express is a collective of African and Western musicians with the mission to bring African music to a wider audience – headliners include Tiken Jah Fakoly (Ivory Coast), M3NSA and M.ANIFEST (Ghana), Les Nubians (Cameroon) and Amazigh Kateb (Algeria). PUMA footballers and Hollywood star Djimon Hounsou will also make an appearance.
On Saturday May 29, the activities conclude with an Africa Unity Experience Camp, where fans will have a chance to go toe-to-toe with current PUMA players and African football legends such as Roger Milla and Tony Yeboah, in a series of skills challenges.
This series of high impact ‘Unity’ events will generate fan support, build consumer engagement in advance of South Africa and raise funds and awareness for the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and PUMA’s 2010 International Year of Biodiversity project ‘Play For Life’.
PUMA’s breakthrough Africa Unity Kit—the first-ever continental kit, designed to be worn as a third uniform for PUMA’s 13 African football teams—will be showcased throughout the Africa Unity Exhibition Game.
“We’re excited to host the Africa Unity Experience—PUMA’s official send-off to the African teams who are World Cup bound,” said Jochen Zeitz, Chairman and CEO of PUMA. “It is through events like these that PUMA’s positioning as a sportlifestyle brand really comes to life. It represents the perfect marriage of sport and music and culture, bringing the Unity message into focus. With our partner UNEP, and with the full support of the African Football Federations, we hope to raise awareness and interest in the topic of biodiversity through our activities during Africa Unity Experience event.”
For more information about PUMA, please visit www.puma.com and www.pumafootball.com
NIKE ‘WRITE THE FUTURE’
Nike’s newest ad campaign is on the way and we have been able to get some sneak peaks. ‘Write the Future’, ask the question: ‘what if?’…
What if Rooney’s career ends prematurely due to disappointment? What if Cristiano Ronaldo had a movie made about himself (he would love that…) or what if the latest fitness craze was Ronaldinho’s ‘Ron’s Samba-robics’ workout DVD?
All we know is that we are glad they are footballers. And we can’t wait to see what Nike have up their sleeve. We will find out soon enough.
&UNION AND PUMA UNITE WITH BEER
Collective São Gabriel brews limited-run, custom lager in honour of African Unity.
Unity Lager celebrates the PUMA Africa Unity kit. This unique football kit is the official third kit of all 12 PUMA sponsored African teams which include World Cup qualifiers Ghana, Cameroon, Ivory Coast and Algeria.
Inspired by the heat of the African sun, the vast skies and the continent’s rich soil, the PUMA Africa Unity Kit is the world’s first truly ‘continental football kit’.
It’s unique colourway is bespoke. The brown pantone was created by mixing actual soil samples from Ghana, Ivory Coast, South Africa and Cameroon.
The colour gradient transition from brown to blue is a visual metaphor for soil to sky. The number and the badges are cast in yellow representing the sun shining down on Africa.
The replica jersey also features the Africa Unity Badge depicting two hands locked in solidarity handshake.
Brett Bellinger, Marketing Director, PUMA South Africa:
“It has been fantastic to see the support from our friends at Collective São Gabriel for our African Unity initiative. Now the message of our special Unity football kit for our African sponsored teams will be carried on their new beer and will be communicated to consumers through one of those globally unifying pastimes – having a beer!”
Rui Esteves of Collective São Gabriel:
“We created this beer in celebration of African Unity and the greatest continent on the planet, as it braces to honour football’s ultimate competition, being held for the first time on African soil.”
The beer is described as a silky yet malty, medium-bodied lager, with hints of apple and honey on the palate. It pours clear and golden with a biscuit aroma and a fruity, herbal hop accent. Smooth drinking, balanced with a bittersweet floral finish. For more information, visit www.gabrielcollective.com/unity
Brewed by Collective São Gabriel in a small-batch, artisan brewery, the beers will be limited to 10,000 bottles. Unity Lager will be available in South Africa from mid-May 2010.
NIKE AND KRONK COLLABORATION
As a host country, staging the world’s biggest football tournament is an honour in its own. As an individual invited to collaborate with the world’s largest sports brand, and have your artwork presented as a collection in the product range, is a defining moment.
That was the take-out from Kronk:, an emerging artist from Cape Town who collaborated with Nike Sportswear on the football collection.
At an exclusive preview event on Monday, 3rd May at the Gallery on 4th in Melville, Nike Sportswear presented their collaboration with Kronk’s to his biggest fans – players from the national football team.
Itumeleng Khune, Teko Modise, Katlego Mphela and Siphiwe Tshabalala made a guest appearance to meet the creative brains behind the locally-flavoured collection rooted in football.
The players also showcased the collection, which features: N98 Track Jacket, AW77 hoodie, kit tee, polo shirt, Nike Dunk high top and Nike Lunar Chukka.
Kronk is one of six international artists who collaborated with Nike Sportswear, to create alternative national team kits that flip the script on the classic football kit. The artists are: Nunca from Brasil, James Jarvis from England, So-Me from France, Delta from Netherlands, Mister Cartoon from the USA, and Kronk representing South Africa.
Each artist had to contribute a badge or crest, mascot, print and typeface in their own unique style.
“For the crest, I looked at all the PSL teams logos, and decided that if our national side is made up from these teams, I would recreate and unify all these logos around uniquely South African influenced elements,” said Kronk, of his design.
The mascot draws the most attention as this two-headed vuvuzela-wielding character is part fan, part player, leaving
“Nike Sportswear creates a new expression of style and the Bleed Your Colours campaign is the perfect example of how we are celebrating the beautiful game of football, in a way that connects to the national team fans who dwell at the intersection of sports and culture,” said Kemi Benjamin, Nike Sportswear Brand Manager.
The campaign is further supported by a locally produced viral which has the Bleed Your Colours kicking off in Johannesburg. Kronk’s designs coming to life as Mzansi literally begins to bleed with the green, black and yellow of the national flag seeping through the city. Khune makes a cameo appearance with Kronk.
The Nike Sportswear South African collection will be in available from Friday, 7th May in leading retail, including Gallery on 4th in Melville and Nike Sportswear Cape Town at the V&A Waterfront.
BAFANA BAFANA STARS SIGN AUTOGRAPHS
The South African national team – Bafana Bafana – is on the verge of competing in the biggest football showpiece ever played on South African soil – the 2010 FIFA World Cup™.
To celebrate this, adidas, the technical supplier to the South African Football Association, is giving the public a chance to meet their heroes in person tomorrow.
Matthew Booth, Lucas Thwala and Innocent Mdledle will be at the Sammy Marks Square in Pretoria on Wednesday, 5th May 2010 from 12:30pm to sign autographs for the public. This is also an opportunity for the public to rally behind the team as they head into their final phase of preparations ahead of the 2010 FIFA World Cup™.
The three players will also sign the gigantic yellow adidas Bafana Bafana jersey on the Unite Mzansi Unite truck, which is on the last leg of its seventh-month tour around the country. The big jersey is uniting South Africans behind the team and the World Cup. adidas is expected to display this giant jersey with all the signatures before the start of the World Cup at a special media event earmarked for June 2010.
Day: Wednesday, 5th May 2010
Venue: Sammy Marks Square, Pretoria
Time: 12:30 for 13:00
The community of Pretoria and surrounding areas is urged to come down to the mall and meet their heroes and wish them luck for the 2010 FIFA World Cup™.
ORLANDO PIRATES REGAIN LOCAL MANCHESTER UNITED PREMIER CUP
Following an action-packed three days, Orlando Pirates retained the coveted title of South African Finals of the Manchester United Premier Cup (MUPC) championship and the honour of representing South Africa at the MUPC world finals in Manchester in August. Orlando Pirates were emphatic winners with a 3-0 victory over a spirited Ajax Cape Town.
Earlier in the day Orlando Pirates sealed their place in the final with a 2-0 semi-final victory over a determined Tuks University outfit and Ajax Cape Town cruised to a 3-0 semi-final victory over Bidvest Wits.
Individual Player Awards:
Goalkeeper of the Tournament MUPC 2010 – Filipe Goncalves, Bidvest Wits
Top Scorer of the Tournament MUPC 2010 – Tshepo Liphoko, Orlando Pirates
Player of the Tournament MUPC 2010 – Hassien Domingo, Ajax Cape Town
