Colour Me Adicolor

The task on hand, to launch an icon brand's largest store in the region and introduce a new fashion label, was no small feat. TBWA shows how it is done.

By Mike Shackle

The pressure is always on when you are working on adidas. Over the last few years, it has forged ahead in exciting new territories that have never been explored before. Sure, it still uses celebrity endorsers but seeing Ali run with Zidane and Beckham in Zaire takes things to a whole new level. And how many brand's outdoor ads get worldwide news coverage? With adidas, Impossible Is Nothing.

When the brief came in to launch adidas' largest store in SE Asia, we knew we had to come up with something exciting. The store was going to be the next epicentre for the adidas Originals street fashion label in the region. And to coincide with the launch, adidas decided to introduce the adicolor range - a reinterpretation of adidas' history in a way that is relevant to today's lifestyle consumer. The adicolor range celebrates expression of originality and creativity via a range of design-your-own shoes and jackets.

Our objectives were to generate talk about the brand and create awareness about the store and the launch activities; to showcase the adicolor concept using apparel and shoe designs penned by 20 local personalities; and to drive traffic and generate sales at the new store.

TBWA targeted people in the arts, media and design industries together with style and fashion leaders, as we felt they would have more affinity with the brand and the adicolor concept. In addition we targeted existing Originals customers from the adidas' database.

A teaser-invitation was emailed to prospects inviting them to register online for an invitation to the launch party which turned out to be over subscribed by 150%. The next challenge was to then send out the official invitation to a chosen few to create an even bigger buzz.

Direct mail was a necessity as we had to get a physical invitation into the hands of our invitees. We couldn't risk an e-invite as guest numbers needed to be strictly controlled to ensure the utmost exclusivity of the event.

Selected respondents were sent a printed invitation in the form of a blank cut-out of the adicolor shoe and jacket that they could design any way they liked. Laces were provided to string through the cut-outs which then formed the lanyard passes for entry to the event. This invite was designed to engage recipients further by giving them a ‘first-hand' feel of the adicolor concept by allowing them to design their own access pass - each one would be truly original and unique to their owner.

400 passes were sent out, 600 tried to get in and within two hours of the grand store opening, the shop made double the targeted daily sales figures. To say we had succeeded in driving traffic to the store would be a huge understatement.

The event was as colourful as the invitation - a fashion show was held along graffittied runways, DJs played classic hip-hop, and the guests got to create an adicolor wall mural by designing their own trainers.

The adidas direct mailer then became a collector's item, a souvenir to keep and to say "I was there".

Mike Shackle is creative director at TBWA\Singapore.

THE MAIL

THE OBJECTIVE

Invite an exclusive group of creative practitioners to the launch of adidas' new store and product range.

THE APPROACH

An invitation pass for guests to express their creativity.

THE RESULT

Attendance overshot by 50% and sales doubled within two hours of opening.