The Week’s Best in Sports Advertising

This week in sports advertising, the NBA gives us the best Christmas light show in sports, Marshawn Lynch goes device free, and the Force is Female as Nike and Adidas both Break Barriers.

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1. Adidas Originals — United by TfL

Agency: Superimpose Global

Adidas Originals is making public transport cool again. To celebrate 15 years of the Oyster Card, the reloadable charge card for London’s public transport, Adidas partnered with Transport for London with Tube inspired sneakers.

Superimpose Global helped the give the campaign a unique vibe that engages young consumers. It also gave back via the partnership with Transport for London by pairing the shoes with a free Oyster Card so the shoes (and those wearing them) can travel London.

2. Common Sense Media — Device Free Dinner

Agency: Goodby Silverstein & Partners

Athlete / Influencer: Marshawn Lynch

“Marshawn said no phones at the table,” yells a cartoon version of the fan favorite running back. Imagine how intimidating it would feel to have Beast Mode yell at you in person. Might help break your habit.

With the help of GS&P, Common Sense Media’s mission is to teach kids the right way to use digital media and technology. The Device Free Dinner campaign is using sports personalities ranging from Lynch to Jerry Rice (catering to kids AND parents) to show how detrimental distracted dinners can be to the family.

3. Adidas — When Creators Unite, She Breaks Barriers

Athlete / Influencer: Chiney Ogwumike, Candace Parker, Lindsey Horan, Nora Vasconcellos, Alix Klineman & Von Miller

She Breaks Barriers from Adidas features well-known athletes like Chiney Ogwumike, Candace Parker, Lindsey Horan alongside up and comers Nora Vasconcellos and Alix Klineman. Sport has the power to change lives, and these females are using their platforms to help the next wave of female athletes continue to break through any walls that ever existed.

Inspiration. Strength. Change. Equality. Brands have seen how impactful social change can be, and for Adidas it may just mean that the females who lead the charge in the future, do it with the 3 stripes in mind.

4. NBA — The NBA Lights Up Christmas Day

Agency: Translation

The NBA serves up great matchups of everyone’s favorite stars every year on Christmas Day. But building up to the holidays, the NBA’s Christmas ad is also every sports lover’s favorite thing. Past spots have ranged from players sitting on the lap of Kris Kringle to the game’s best shooters draining 3’s to make a jingle.

This year, the NBA is lighting up Christmas Day in a new way. With help from Translation, the league traced images and footage of the players highlighted in the commercial in a 2D environment and then transferred the drawings to a 3D world where they were turned into beautiful light sculptures.

5. Nike — The Force is Female: Jorja Unlocked

Athlete / Influencer: Jorja Smith

The Force is Female campaign continues Nike’s strong year of inspiring athletes, creators, and individuals alike to do what they believe in. This iteration of the ongoing campaign focused on Jorja Smith, a rising star in music, and a Force in the entertainment industry helping to inspire the next wave of young women in the biz.

The spot from Nike comes via an underground event which featured Smith sharing her story with fans and performing a live set. It was a different way for Nike to advertise and placed greater emphasis on the change they are driving rather than the product itself.

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