Bellingham and Messi under pressure in Beckham-narrated Adidas ad
The sports giant wants to disarm the negatives that come with big matches and tournaments, instead focusing on what’s possible when managing the weight of expectations.
As anticipation builds towards a summer of football, a new Adidas campaign shines a light on how, alongside excitement, international football can bring an added level of pressure to each player’s game.
In fact, research shows that players are three times more likely to miss a penalty when playing for their nation team as opposed to their club.
The hero ad features the likes of Gianluigi Donnarumma, Giovanni Reyna, Ousmane Dembélé, Pedri, Jude Bellingham and Leo Messi. The familiar voice of Manchester United legend David Beckham narrates the spot as Queen and David Bowie’s iconic Under Pressure track plays in the background.
Titled ‘You Got This,’ the short film hopes to remind athletes worldwide where their love for the game started and how dreams can become a reality when backed by the fans.
“When you first play for your national team, it comes with a higher level of pressure and one you have to adapt to quickly. From playing at a high level at such a young age, I’ve learned pressure is more of a responsibility; it can be hard to play under pressure,” said England midfielder Jude Bellingham.
“The advice I live by is when the feeling of pressure arrives, you have to remember why you’re playing; for me, going into this summer’s tournament, I’ll remember that I play for the love of the game and bring the feeling of pressure into the fold to push me to reach the highest level I can.”
Speaking on the next chapter of the brand campaign, Florian Alt, vice-president of global brand comms at Adidas, added: “We want to celebrate and support our players ahead of a huge summer of football as they continue to inspire the up-and-coming generation of athletes.
“This campaign serves to remind us all that pressure can be felt at any level, no matter the accolades or achievements. Our ambition remains to help disarm negative pressure in sport and encourage elite and grassroots players to reconnect with what ignited their love for the game. We hope our rallying cry, ‘You Got This,’ invites athletes of all levels to overcome the pressure and achieve their personal possibilities in sport.”