MAM
Basketball star Tracy McGrady in Adidas’ new global campaign
MUMBAI: Footwear manufacturer Adidas has announced the launch of a new global basketball campaign highlighting Houston Rockets all-star forward Tracy McGrady and his latest adidas shoe, the T-MAC 5.
The fifth edition of superstar Tracy McGrady’s signature shoe, the T-MAC 5 is set to launch globally at all major retail partners and on-line at www.adidas.com on 28 October, 2005.
The strategy behind this highly integrated global brand campaign is to highlight the feats that T-MAC had been doing on the basketball court his whole career- scoring 13 points in 35 seconds against the eventual NBA World Champion Spurs, scoring 62 points in a game, becoming the youngest player in NBA history to lead the league in scoring. This type of play allows adidas to take a much more creative approach when creating a fully integrated global brand campaign and that is what is done with Folklore.
Folklore talks about T-Mac in a whole different way by using the art of storytelling and metaphors, borrowing from these ideas to tell a more fantastical and magical story of McGrady. Adidas states that Television is the highest level of storytelling and it introduces the idea of Folklore. The Folklore TVC continues to use the adidas creative approach of
metaphors to tell a story.
Folklore starts off with voices of several kids telling a story with each kid jumping in to give the “real” version of what really happened. As they speak, we see T-Mac doing what they say happened. The opening scene has T-Mac at the free throw line. As he begins to shoot, his uniform changes from home black to road white then back to black as the shot goes in. He then steals the ball and blows past two defenders. When a third defender appears, T-Mac is so quick that when he blows by him for the dunk the defender’s arm breaks.
In the replay we see that as he goes up for the dunk, T-Mac according to the kids grabs a stack of quarters off the backboard. When we return to the action, T-MAC once again steals a pass. T-Mac is on fire as he begins to dribble and approaches the arch, where he then hits a three, just as it starts to rain. On the next possession, like an animal, T-Mac strips the inbounds pass. The next thing we know he is getting rushed by everyone in the stadium. He then rises above the game and the moment with the help of wings and drains a three to win the game as it once again rains.
As he walks off the court, T-Mac knows that he has stepped up in the moment when his team, the fans and the game needed him most and made the impossible happen.
The print campaign tells the story of Tracy McGrady, his signature shoe the T-Mac 5 and its unique design elements: incorporation of wood and the strap. In each execution, the ad starts off with a truth, and extends
into a story of mythical proportions, highlighting the amazing things that T-MAC has done. Each print ad finishes open-ended, driving people to the adidas basketball website www.adidas.com/basketball to find out more and to bring together both the television and print campaigns.
The campaign will also be supported by point-of-sale, public relations and on-line executions.
Brands
KKR sixes to power EV charger rollout under VIDA campaign
Cricket meets clean mobility as big hits spark India’s charging growth
NEW DELHI: VIDA, the electric mobility arm of Hero MotoCorp, has teamed up with Kolkata Knight Riders to launch a campaign that turns cricketing flair into real-world impact.
Titled ‘6 for 6’, the initiative promises to install a 6kW fast EV charger for every six hit by KKR during the ongoing Indian Premier League season. The idea is simple but powerful, as each big hit on the field contributes directly to expanding India’s fast-charging infrastructure.
The campaign builds on VIDA’s growing network, which already spans over 5,300 fast-charging points across more than 430 cities. With EV adoption gaining pace, the brand is using cricket’s mass appeal to accelerate both awareness and infrastructure growth.
Explaining the thinking behind the move, Hero MotoCorp emerging mobility business unit chief business officer Kausalya Nandakumar said, “Cricket has an incredible ability to unite and inspire millions across the country. With the ‘6 for 6’ campaign, we are turning every big hit on the field into a step towards a cleaner and a more accessible mobility future.”
She added that VIDA’s expanding fast-charging network and removable battery technology are designed to make EV ownership more convenient and practical for everyday users.
From the franchise’s side, the campaign is also about giving on-field moments a larger purpose. Kolkata Knight Riders chief executive officer Venky Mysore said, “The ‘6 for 6’ campaign exemplifies the potential of sport as a platform for meaningful, real-world impact. By linking every six to the expansion of EV charging infrastructure, this partnership transforms fan excitement into tangible progress.”
As part of the rollout, VIDA has introduced co-branded charging stations in KKR’s signature colours, with a flagship installation unveiled alongside team players. The chargers are designed for quick top-ups, powering VIDA scooters from zero to 80 percent in about an hour, while also being positioned along key highways to support longer journeys.
The initiative also taps into VIDA’s removable battery system, which allows users to charge using standard household plug points, adding flexibility to the charging ecosystem.
By blending the thrill of cricket with the urgency of clean mobility, VIDA and KKR have found a neat way to make every six count twice, once on the scoreboard and again on India’s road to an electric future.
