Adidas 1996 Annual Report Download - page 11

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11
Basketball – adidas proudly welcomes the
“new kids on the block”. In the steps of their
big brothers like Detlef Schrempf (Seattle
SuperSonics), John Starks (New York Knicks)
and Joe Dumars (Detroit Pistons), NBA
rookies Kobe Bryant (LA Lakers), Antoine
Walker (Boston Celtics), Jermaine O’Neal
(Portland Trail Blazers) and Randy Livingston
(Houston Rockets) all proudly sport Feet You
Wear basketball shoes during matches.
Bryant and Walker – and their shoes – are
the stars of the 1997 adidas global Feet You
Wear advertising campaign.
In 1996, under the adidas banner, teams
from over 40 countries met in Budapest to
compete for the 2nd Streetball World Cham-
pionship. The event will be bigger and better
still in 1997, when they all meet again in Milan.
Other games, other countries – adidas
extended its long-standing promotional con-
tracts with the Cuban Olympic Committee
and Sports Federations. In addition to sup-
porting prominent track and field athletes
and boxers, adidas will now sponsor the
world-class Cuban Volleyball Federation.
adidas continues as the partner of the
Russian Wintersport Federations and Olym-
pic Champion Croatian Handball Federation.
And, to promote training shoes, adidas is
now using American football: it has just
signed key players Keyshawn Johnson (New
York) and Troy Aikman (Dallas).
For a growing number of the world’s top ath-
letes, then, adidas is already the world’s best
sports brand.
Athletics – Additional new business oppor-
tunities are being developed from the com-
bined long-term sponsorship/license agree
-
ment with the International Amateur Athletic
Federation. More than just another Official
Sponsor, adidas becomes a true partner in
the development of athletics on a worldwide
basis. As a result, we will be able to intro-
duce ranges bearing the official symbols of
the IAAF. It will be seen as one more proof
that when it comes to championship sport
the best performers know where to turn.
Tennis – Again, adidas is on the ball with its
champion Steffi Graf winning all three Grand
Slam tournaments in which she competed.
Steffi is an active endorser of Feet You Wear
footwear, and her flying feet on the court
help power the remarkably successful new
footwear line.
On the men’s circuit, adidas salutes long-
time partner Edberg who retired from the
active play and welcomes Stefan as an
expert consultant in product development
and testing. Fans around the world followed
the ultimate tour of the ’last gentleman of
tennis’ with admiration.
1997 will be a year for new faces and fresh
talents: two-time French Open winner Sergi
Bruguera and the world’s junior number one
ranking Anna Kournikova have joined adidas
to help perpetuate a long tradition of excel-
lence in sports.