“Impossible is Nothing”
The phrase sure does strike a chord! For all those people, setting their goals with the singular aim to achieve them at all cost, it does!
Through the years, the $41.51 billion brand has maintained its impact in the athletic industry, sticking to its primary aim – to provide superior-quality sports equipment one can think of. And Adidas slogans have also maintained the same theme, aligning its mission to the brand’s core identity. From “Impossible is Nothing” to “All in”, the brand continues to maintain its inspirational stand for millions of sportspeople worldwide.
Let’s learn more of Adidas’ slogans and their role in its branding efforts.
How Adidas Slogans Helped In The Brand’s Progress
The key philosophy behind branding slogans is to describe the brand’s reason for existence in an attractive, engaging manner. Using catchy phrases, the slogans highlight the brand’s core purpose, aligning the same with the company’s products or services.
The Adidas slogan isn’t an exception.
“Impossible is Nothing”, the brand’s first-ever marketing slogan that was launched in 2004, was actually derived from a quote by Muhammad Ali.
No wonder, this famous Adidas slogan, associated with the renowned boxing champion helped the originally-German brand rise up the popularity ladder rather fast! Especially when competition from rivals, like Nike, Reebok, was stiff. However, the brand managed to acquire one of its biggest rivals, Reebok, in 2006 for $3.8 billion.
In 2011, the Adidas slogan changed to “All in” as a part of the most expensive marketing campaign in the brand’s history.
Owning to the global popularity of the brand, this slogan was tweaked a bit to “Adidas Is All In” in 2013, as a part of its most expensive marketing campaign ever. By that time, the company had achieved a striking global presence with headquarters in Germany, Tokyo, London, Taiwan, Spain, Australia, Portland, and Toronto. Aligning the marketing slogan with the brand name was an intelligent move indeed!
It needs to be mentioned here that the company made numerous progresses after going “All In”:
- It created a mobile app for its customers in 2015 to get access to limited-edition sneakers.
- It also acquired Runtastic, a fitness technology company in the same year.
- In 2016, the brand’s annual revenue stood at $21.347 billion, and in 2017, the number reached $26.477 billion – the highest in the brand’s history.
It seems that the new marketing slogan surely played a massive role in the success of the sports brand.
“Impossible is Nothing” – What does the Adidas slogan stand for?
Of course, the thought that first comes to our mind on hearing the phrase is – Nothing is impossible if you have enough confidence and determination and show enough efforts to achieve your goals. And that’s exactly what the Adidas slogan stands for.
Muhammad Ali (1942-2016) was a world-famous boxer, known for his immense determination and confidence in the ring. The phrase has been taken from one of his quotes, where he talked about people, who don’t push their boundaries or get out of their comfort zones to achieve their goals in life. Simply speaking, the famous sportsman felt that nothing is impossible to achieve if you have the right mindset to push your boundaries.
Adidas decided to coin the phrase in its marketing slogan to motivate both aspiring athletes and regular people to challenge their respective situations and get out of it. The brand slogan stood out as one of the most iconic advertising slogans in the sports industry, also helping the company garner immense support and followers globally.
Popularity of the Adidas Slogan – “Impossible is Nothing”
Source : YouTube
The emblematic Adidas Slogan became an integral part of the brand’s awareness strategy. As the phrase immediately connected to millions of people globally, it emphasized on personal inspiration besides the quality of Adidas products. Passionate sports enthusiasts related to the phrase in their professional, as well as personal lives. Everyone faces challenges, right? “Impossible is Nothing” raised their confidence to a different level, thus increasing Adidas’ brand awareness globally.
The impact of the slogan was not limited to emotional connect. The company achieved massive success on the financial front as well.
- A whopping 15% increase in Adidas’ global sales
- Collaboration with renowned sportspeople, like David Beckham, Patrick Mahomes, and Lionel Messi
- Acquisitions and partnerships
All these successes can be attributed to the popularity of the slogan, which was included in all of the brand’s marketing endeavors – from sports events to television commercials.
Although the existing slogan of the brand is different, no one forgets the contribution of its first-ever marketing slogan that resonated with the audience like a direct motivation.
“ADIDAS – Is All In” (2011)
Changing the Adidas slogan from “Impossible is Nothing” to “ADIDAS – Is All In” in 2011 was a clever marketing move by the company to enhance its brand identity. In the zeal to connect with a younger audience, the brand launched a global campaign, featuring this slogan, which was allegedly inspired by a French mime.
Source : YouTube
It was the brand’s biggest campaign in 60 years in terms of media expenditure. Lionel Messi and David Beckham to Katy Perry, NBA star, Derrick Rose, all participated in the campaign that merged sports, street and style into one massive emotion – Passion for the game. Along with the company’s skateboarding team, they traveled different cities, covering sports and lifestyle events and spreading the brand’s message.
Now what was this message that the brand wanted to deliver to its audience?
“All in” stood for the brand’s increased commitment to sports technology, also inspiring its followers to go all in for their game – whatever it is. “Game” here doesn’t necessarily stand for any kind of sport. “Game” is “Goal” that Adidas wanted its audience to be serious about and pursue sincerely.
The advertisements also emphasized the message that when you love your “Game” and is serious about it, you put ‘all’ your efforts into it, I.e. go “All In”. The new Adidas Slogan thus aimed to ignite the flame of passion in the minds of its followers, making them feel connected to the brand.
“All in” or “Nothing” – Adidas Slogan of 2013
In 2014, the brand launched its remarkable media campaign with the slogan, “All in or Nothing” during the FIFA World Cup of Football in Brazil. Sports celebs, like David Beckham, Pablo Armero, and Messi, were featured in a series of advertisements on YouTube. The viewers were given the option to go “All in” and be a part of the brand’s exclusive marketing updates on its official site, or opt out by choosing “Nothing”.
The launch of Adidas slogan – All in or Nothing – was one of the biggest and most expensive media campaigns in the brand’s history. Kanye West, a famous American rapper, developed music for the ads, and his song, “God Level”, was debuted in one of those.
The combination of celeb endorsements, amazing music, multichannel marketing, experiential marketing, and several other factors took the brand’s popularity several scores up. The slogan eventually cemented the brand’s position as a leading global sports brand that’s committed to providing excellence and meeting the expectations of professional athletes, sports enthusiasts and regular customers worldwide.
Popularity of Adidas Slogan – “All in or Nothing”
The popularity of the Adidas slogan – All in or Nothing – was immense. As it is the campaign was launched during the FIFA World Cup and endorsed by sports celebrities and pop icons alike. The company left no stone unturned to turn it into a global ad campaign, bringing about 6 million new followers on social media. Further, the advertisements shared on YouTube during the World Cup received 38 million views.
Source : Facebook
That wasn’t all. The hashtag #Allin was used in every post made by the brand’s Twitter handle to increase awareness of the campaign. 2.1 million #allin hashtag mentions were observed, making it a trending hashtag worldwide. Besides Twitter (now X), the hashtag also became popular on Instagram, Facebook, and other social media platforms.
In other words, EVERYONE was talking about Adidas during the 2014 FIFA World Cup tournament. No wonder it’s the current Adidas slogan, existing as the brand’s identity for more than a decade now.
Other Marketing Slogans Launched by Adidas
Adidas, a leading sports brand, was always “all in” regarding its marketing strategies. Its advertisement slogans not only stood out in its industry but also in the entire branding world. It won’t be wrong to say that Adidas slogans created a legacy of their own. The motivating phrases resonated with people from all walks of life, sports and other, inspiring the brand’s followers to achieve their goals with sincerity and dedication.
Here are some of the marketing slogans that the company launched at different times to reach out to their audience and enhance the connection:
“Spirit of the Games” – 1984 Adidas Slogan for the Summer Olympics
It was released during the 1984 Summer Olympics and helped Adidas increase its stronghold in the sportswear industry. A limited-edition “Spirit of the Games” Adidas shoe was launched in 2020 based on the vintage 1984 design.
“Feet Your Wear” – 1996 Adidas Campaign
Feet your Wear, the Adidas slogan for its 1996 marketing campaign is remembered for the Top Ten 2000 model, one of the most popular early models of the brand. The success of the campaign should also be attributed to Kobe Byrant, the basketball champ, and Keyshawn Johnson, another endorser. Although the campaign was primarily aimed for basketball enthusiasts, it reached further and covered other sections of the audience as well.
“Adidas Makes You Better” (2000)
This slogan was a part of a fun campaign by the brand, emphasizing on how the Adidas products can make your life better. It featured a number of sports celebrities, like Jonah Lomu, Martina Hingis, and Sergio Garcia, and included TV commercials, social media ads, posters, and banners. The ad was based on the theme that Adidas products can indeed make you feel lighter, cooler and functional both in sports and day-to-day life activities.
“Boost Your Run” – 2013 Adidas Slogan
The “Boost Your Run” marketing campaign in 2013 was aimed to promote Adidas’ Boost technology. The brand’s running shoes featured this special cushioning system called Boost that provided ultimate comfort to runners. The ad was developed to create awareness of the technology and focus on its benefits, like maximum energy return, running comfort and responsiveness. From interactive websites, mobile apps to VR (Virtual Reality) experiences, Adidas left no stone unturned to promote this amazing technology for its line of running shoes.
“Here to Create” – Adidas marketing slogan of 2016
This global marketing campaign was aimed to empower people, especially women, athletes and sports enthusiasts, to boost their sense of creativity and expression. “Here to Create” stood to inspire the creative expression of people in sports and other fields. It aimed to reduce the gap between sports and arts, helping people see both as a form of creative expression.
A significant goal of this marketing campaign was to encourage women to take active part in sports and related activities. It aimed to break stereotypes regarding sports and help people, especially women, push their boundaries.
“Run for the Oceans” – Adidas 2018 marketing slogan
As the slogan implies, the brand’s marketing campaign of 2018 was an initiative by Adidas and another organization – Parley for the Oceans – to raise awareness about the increasing plastic waste and pollution in the oceans.
It aspired to fight the increasing pollution in the oceans to enhance marine life and maintain overall ecological balance. The campaign was strengthened further by engaging Adidas’ customers in global running events and recycling plastic waste into the company’s products. “Run for the Oceans” was thus a call out to everyone to participate in reducing plastic pollution in the oceans. The response was huge, resulting in millions of money donated to Parley for its pollution-combating endeavors.
“She Breaks Barriers” – 2018
Another marketing slogan for an advertising campaign by the brand, “She Breaks Barriers” stood to raise awareness against gender stereotypes in sports and athletics. This was an empowering campaign by Adidas that aimed to inspire women athletes to chase their dreams and achieve their goals, despite all obstacles.
The Adidas slogan, “She Breaks Barriers” was endorsed by several female athletes, like Shaunae Miller (sprinter), Candace Parker (basketball), and Garbiñe Muguruza (Tennis). The campaign featured their powerful stories to act as inspiration for struggling athletes and women from other fields as well. Also, the brand held community events, like workshops, sports clinics, and activities, like panel discussions, to engage with women of all ages. Besides, the company also launched a series of sports shoes catering to the unique requirements of female athletes.
“You Got This” – 2024 Adidas Slogan
The 2024 marketing campaign of Adidas featured the slogan, “You Got This”, to help athletes rediscover their passion for sports and overcome failures. It aimed to bring back the fun element in sports and related activities, helping the youth to pursue athletics by overcoming all kinds of challenges.
Source : YouTube
In this marketing campaign, the brand aspired to reinstate the entertainment factor in sports and reduce societal and familial pressure to pursue athletic activities. “You Got This” aimed to motivate people to overcome the pressure, increase confidence, and achieve their goals in sports.
The threefold objective of the campaign was:
- Help the youth connect with sports and find their passion
- Motivate athletes to rediscover the joy in sports and athletic activities
- Encourage struggling athletes overcome challenges from the society and individual families
As a sports brand, Adidas wanted to remind everyone that sports is just a game, a kick to your regular, monotonous life. It just wished for you to know that “You Got This” while encouraging you to start enjoying sports as a game that can be played both in your backyard, and on the ground.
Over To You
Adidas’ marketing campaigns have always tried to connect with their customers on grassroots level. It’s first marketing slogan, “Impossible is Nothing” aimed to inspired its followers to push boundaries and overcome obstacles, as achieving goals is very much possible.
The current Adidas slogan, “Adidas is all in” encourages people to go all in to pursue their goals in life. Other Adidas slogans used in different marketing campaigns of the brand have always tried to motivate athletes and people leading regular lives to challenge all adversities and pursue their respective passions. For example, “She Breaks Barriers”, an Adidas slogan in 2018, directly boosts women athletes to ‘break barriers’ and fight gender stereotypes in sports.
Adidas has also played a major role in establishing a sustainable ecosystem through its marketing slogans, like “Run for the Oceans” – an collaborated initiative to reduce marine pollution and plastic dumping. Its upcoming slogan, “You Got This” again underlines its primary objective to reinstall the lost passion in sports fr the younger generations.
If there’s anything you can learn from the series of successful marketing campaigns of the brand, it is this:
Your people are your biggest strength. Connect with them to reach your goals as a consumer brand.