In sports marketing, for the last few years, it has been evident that Nike has had their finger on the pulse of culture and creative ingenuity. Even with all of their work, as fans, it's very clear that athletes sometimes aren't being fully themselves in the content that is being put out. We know that on-the-court personalities and off-court personalities are different because sports bring out a hyper-competitive nature in people that everyday life sometimes may not require.
With that being said, Adidas's marketing campaign with Anthony Edwards has been a breath of fresh air. They have found a way to create content around his new sneaker, the AE1, and keep it authentic to himself. Anthony Edwards, originally from Atlanta, was eliminated from the playoffs this week by the Dallas Mavericks. Throughout the playoffs, the narratives surrounding him were all over the place. Adidas used the elimination as a time to release a new commercial where Anthony Edwards listens to all of the chatter surrounding him and checks the receipts. He addresses basketball players, media personalities, and everyone in between.
Although it's early in his career, Anthony Edwards already has acting credits in the Adam Sandler-led film, Hustle. It will be interesting to see how Adidas continues to market Anthony Edwards, but so far it feels very Jordan and Nike in the approach.