Today, the brand with the three stripes is unveiling the next chapter of its “You Got This” brand campaign, once again highlighting how athletes around the world face negative pressure in sports.
Set against the backdrop of this year’s Summer Games in Paris, the campaign underscores the importance of self-confidence and a positive attitude in competition.
It showcases elite athletes who use their belief in themselves to reach their full potential and, in doing so, inspire future generations.
The campaign launches at a time when athletes’ self-confidence is on the decline. According to a study commissioned by adidas, one in five recreational athletes believes they are “not good enough at sports” ¹ and sees this as a barrier to participating.
Among underserved populations, this is true for as many as one in four respondents ¹. adidas has made it its mission to address this issue.
In the run-up to Paris 2024, the brand is showcasing, with the latest chapter of its campaign, how important self-belief is—a factor that has been proven to enhance performance in sports.²
To understand how growing self-confidence can help alleviate the pressure to perform—from amateur athletes to elite athletes—adidas is collaborating with Dr. Josephine Perry, a certified sports psychologist.
She says, “For athletes, there is no bigger stage than the Summer Games. However, this event brings with it a multitude of stressors. Research shows that athletes are exposed to up to 93 different stressors³, all of which they must overcome to deliver peak performance in competition.
Techniques for developing self-confidence, courage, and optimism can significantly reduce this pressure and help athletes succeed on their journey from recreational to elite sports.”
In the international version of the brand film for the campaign’s theme song “Under Pressure” by Queen and David Bowie, adidas brings together elite athletes on their journey to a gold medal, including the U.S. sprinter and currently the world’s fastest man, Noah Lyles, the Kenyan women’s marathon world record holder Peres Jepchirchir, the French hurdler Sasha Zhoya, and the swimmer Sümeyye Boyaci from Turkey.
The German adaptation of the campaign focuses on elite athletes Lise Petersen (para javelin), Mikaelle Assani (long jump), Pauline Nettesheim (breakdancing), Justin Sommer (skateboarding), and Selina Düz (taekwondo).
In the short film, the athletes themselves talk about the pressure they face and encourage all athletes—from amateurs to elite competitors—to strengthen their belief in themselves. The brand’s positive slogan, “You Got This,” underscores this message.
The concept and execution of the German adaptation were handled by the agency HY.AM Studios in Berlin.
Florian Alt, Vice President of Global Brand Communications at adidas, comments on the next chapter of the brand campaign: “The Summer Games are the career highlight for the world’s best athletes. We want to celebrate our athletes and, at the same time, showcase what athletic feats are possible.
With this campaign, we’re continuing our mission and showing how universal pressure is—we all feel it, even experienced athletes. But we also know that a key factor in overcoming pressure is believing in yourself.
We hope this encourages all athletes to realize that they are good enough and that self-confidence and the joy of sports are essential to reaching their full potential.”
To build the self-confidence of athletes at all performance levels, adidas supports various programs, including adidas Arena, adidas GROUNDPARIS, Breaking Barriers, Gol De Letras, and Boys & Girls Clubs of America.
¹ adidas commissioned an international study conducted by Vitreous World. The study surveyed 17,038 16- to 30-year-olds with a general interest in sports in South Korea, Mexico, Japan, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, the United Arab Emirates, China, and the United States. The data was collected between May and June 2023.
² The findings are based on a review of scientific studies (involving over 3,000 athletes from 15 countries and 24 sports) (Lochbaum et al. 2022).
³ 93 Specific Stressors in Elite Sports—Hanton, S., Fletcher, D., & Coughlan, G. (2005). Stress in Elite Athletes: A Comparative Study of Competition and Organizational Stressors. Journal of Sport Sciences, 23(10), 1129–1141
Photos via adidas
