GIANT ADIDAS BAFANA BAFANA JERSEY

adidas unveils Giant Bafana Bafana jersey to mark the last Football Friday

Unite Mzansi Unite

adidas, official sponsor of the 2010 FIFA World Cup™, have unveiled the giant Bafana Bafana jersey which bears signatures and messages of support from hundreds of thousands Bafana Bafana fans. The giant jersey –which is 60 metres by 48 metres big was unveiled at the Cape Town Stadium to mark the last Football Friday -a concept that saw South Africans wearing the colours of their national team every Friday in the days leading to the 2010 FIFA World Cup ™.

The giant jersey was the central tool in adidas’ Unite Mzansi Unite campaign whose aim was to unite South Africans behind the World Cup and the National team – Bafana Bafana. The massive yellow jersey toured the rest of South Africa over seven months:

• covering a distance of 27, 000 kilometres,
• visiting more than 300 towns & villages and
• passing through all 9 provinces South Africa and
• all the host cities receiving an overwhelming welcome along the way.

“We decided to unveil the giant jersey in one of the World Cup venues in order to mark the last Football Friday and to say thank you to all South Africans for uniting behind the World Cup and Bafana Bafana. We have certainly showed the World how united we are in our purpose to deliver a spectacular event and the final on Sunday will be a real cherry on top,” says Zobuzwe Ngobese, the Public Relations Manager at adidas South Africa.

The UMU campaign has not only touched South Africans as it had a very big global arm to it. Football fans from around the world were introduced to the yellow headband –known as the UMU a month before the tournament. This item has been sold globally at retail stores and all proceeds from the sales will go towards the 46664 –a Nelson Mandela charity organisation. Fans from South Africa and rest of the world have been wearing these yellow headbands at World Cup matches –something which created a sea of yellow at the stadiums –particularly when South Africa was playing. Some players also wore the UMUs on the field of play to show their support for charity.

“We are pleased that during all the three Bafana Bafana matches –the stadium was painted in yellow and more pleasing is the fact that the enthusiasm of South Africans continues all the way irrespective of whether our team is still there or not. That is what our campaign was all about –to unite South Africans behind the event,” adds Ngobese.

Some prominent people who have been part of the campaign include President of the Republic of South Africa Jacob Zuma, Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe, Danny Jordaan and Lucas Radebe. Musicians, actors and South African sports personalities also embraced the campaign.

Ordinary South Africans on the streets were equally touched by the campaign when the giant jersey reached their towns and villages while other locals offered to support UMU by showcasing their talents through song, dance and performances during truck stops in their areas.

With the jersey revealed, adidas has plans to leave a legacy long after the World Cup has gone. Certain high profile people and personalities who signed the jersey will have their signatures cut from the replica jersey, framed and auctioned on eBay. Proceeds from the auction will go to the Nelson Mandela 46664 charity organizations.

“As the world’s leading football brand, it was very important for us to leave a legacy after the campaign had finished. We have decided to select 11 signatures from prominent South Africans who signed the jersey and we will have pieces of their signatures framed for people to purchase on ebay -in order to raise funds and awareness for the great work the Nelson Mandela charity is doing,” adds Ngobese.

All South Africans that signed on the jersey will be able to say they were part of this historic event which was held on the African continent for the first time. It is expected that the spirit of unity will linger on after the World Cup and this is good news for the South African national team –which now enjoys unprecedented support following their brave at the tournament.