“This is not a jersey…” Well, you say that, it kinda is…
This is not a jersey. Well, it is, but adidas would have you believe that it most defintely is not in their new kit launch campaign for the New Zealand All Blacks strip. The website for the campaign houses 3 elements- a video from the players saying why the jersey they are holding, is definitely not a jersey, the birthright programme- allowing parents whose offsrping were born on the day of a 2008 test match a free All Blacks shirt and finally “Adi-thread“… the clever nanotechnology that allows users to submit their names to be woven into the Kiwi crest, “helping fans get closer to the team“.
It’s a great campaign in my opinion that really taps into a current cultural tension within sports fans- there is a real detachment between the stars at the top of the game and the average Joe who has supported the game for years (in Rugby Union’s case, this is heightened since the game only turned pro in the mid 90s).
The insight of the adidas team to invite fans into the process makes really powerful marketing. It shows that the kit manufacturer and the team themselves, value the support and contribution of their fans, which will only lead to positive word of mouth around the kit launch, though maybe not amongst the marketing chatterati, who on the whole, are a cynical bunch of sods… that said, it definitely IS a jersey.
