Multinational corporations and brands spend billions of dollars every year to agencies with big names for their marketing campaigns and advertisement. They pay extra millions of dollars for a celebrity endorsement and brand image.
While this investments do achieve and serve the end-goal, brands should probably keep an open-mind when it comes to advertisement and not neglect another approach if it -literally- came knocking on their doors.
This is exactly what happened to Adidas, when a Moldovan young student who is studying Filmacademy Baden-Wuerttemberg, in Germany where he lived since he was 6 years old, delivered a wrapped gift to Adidas doorteps.
Adidas spending on marketing always looking to outrun Nike with big advertising campaign. In terms of consumer loyalty, Adidas is ranked No. 3, according to the latest ranking from Brand Keys’ latest Customer Loyalty Engagement Index, after Nike and New Balance.
Adidas spent 12.4 percent of its 2013 revenue of 14.5 billion euros ($19.4 billion) on sales and marketing. Nike spent 10.8 percent of sales of $27.8 billion on marketing in its 2013/14 financial year.
Emotional, Tearjerker “Adidas – Break Free” Advert:
We don’t know a whole lot about, Eugen Merher, the German director and Filmacademy Baden-Wuerttemberg who work in film and advertising. Always striving for perfect visual storytelling. The passionate 26 years old, single-handedly created an epic, tearjerker advert for Adidas two months ago.
The advert is featuring an example of the athletes who are featured in all the commercials produced by the sports industry, the only difference is that the athlete here is well past his glorious days.
He captured the story of a 79-year old a former marathon runner, “prisoner” of a nursing home, filled with despair and unparalleled misery, just wasting away in loneliness. Until, he find his old Adidas running sneakers and marathon attire, it instantly, kindles in his heart the spark of youth, of reliving his old golden days.
While Adidas, was not impressed. The Video generated 8,305,121 views on YouTube and 49.7K views on Vimeo. Watch the video here:
Igniting the same youthful spirit in his fellow senior citizens. In several attempts of breaking free of the boredom and despair, with each failed effort we see him trying various ways with a lot of tenacity and perseverance, then with help from his retirement home residence, he escapes the talon grasp of the nurses and “Break free” running again. Living again.
Adidas Silence:
The advert started circulating few days ago, it took it two months for people to notice it, but now it is spreading quite fast.
Eugen Merher said ; “We tried sending it to [Adidas’] communications department but they didn’t really react,” to The Huffington Post.
Well, at least they didn’t outright reject the idea. That is something, but at the same time, they missed a really good chance to be airing this outstanding work.
Merher might not have the resources and finances to produce a world-class commercial, but with little resources and an exceptional mind he created a great advert that is going viral. Imagine the possibilities.
Check more of Merher’s work here
