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
Samsung India elevates Aditya Babbar to lead mobile business
Exec takes charge of MX sales and marketing after Raju Pullan’s exit
NEW DELHI: Samsung India has elevated Aditya Babbar to lead its mobile phone business, following the exit of Raju Antony Pullan.
Babbar, who previously served as vice president within the mobile division, has been appointed head of sales and marketing for the MX (mobile experience) business, effective May 1. In his new role, he will oversee the company’s sales and marketing operations for smartphones and related categories in India, reporting to the executive vice president of the MX business.
A long-time Samsung executive, Babbar brings over a decade of experience within the organisation, having held multiple leadership roles across product, marketing and category management. Most recently, he led product marketing and e-commerce for the mobile division, following earlier stints as head of product and marketing and senior director roles.
His career within Samsung Electronics and its India operations has also included responsibilities for flagship devices, tablets and wearables, giving him a broad view of the company’s premium and mass-market portfolio.
Babbar succeeds Pullan, who stepped down from the role, marking a leadership transition at a time when India remains a key battleground for global smartphone makers.
The appointment signals continuity within Samsung’s leadership bench, with an internal candidate stepping up to steer one of its most critical business units in a highly competitive market.
