Winning World Cup formula is just the ticket for adidas

With the 2006 FIFA World Cup action now well under way, supporters in the region are showing their passion for the 'beautiful game'; a fact which is reflected in the demand for World Cup adidas merchandise.

The best selling item at stores across the region is the +Teamgeist match ball which has proved extremely popular with fans ever since it was first supplied to UEFA and FIFA championship games 36 years ago. A staggering fifteen million of the +Teamgeist match balls are expected to be sold globally throughout the course of the World Cup.

The volume of sales for World Cup jerseys has also been unprecedented. At stores in the UAE, the biggest contenders are France, Germany and Argentina, though other nations are also proving to be very popular. In terms of footwear, both the TUNIT and Predator football boots are selling exceptionally well.

Ellen Peacock, Regional Communication Manager at adidas Emerging Markets (LLC) said,

"We are absolutely delighted, though the success is actually two-fold. On one hand, from a sales perspective it is of course excellent news that our products are being so well received. However, at another level, it is just as important to strengthen our relationship with football".

She added,"Football is at the heart of adidas and we have always had a very strong relationship with the sport. Through increased awareness of our product and the federations and individual stars we support, we are able to raise that profile even further and help promote the very essence of the brand and what adidas is about".

With a cumulative audience of 38 billion viewers, this year's FIFA World Cup™ will provide adidas with the perfect opportunity to showcase its products as well as the football stars who will be wearing them.

adidas' achievement can also be put down to its' hugely successful marketing campaign which was executed at all levels, from print, to radio, to special outdoor 'grassroots' events across the region. The highlight of this has been the global football broadcasting campaign 'Impossible Team', which in association with adidas' +10 campaign, celebrates the magic of team spirit. Featuring many of the greatest football players from the past and present, it tells the story of two kids picking their ultimate fantasy team. It shows how the individual is nothing without his team and how the team is nothing without that individual.