Ready to Run: Western Shops Have Eye on Adidas After Footwear Maker Moves to Portland By Kathy Tyre

West Coast ad execs are lacing up their running shoes with the news that Adidas relocated from its New Jersey hea

Moore, who was named creative director, (Strasser is chief executive) has already said there will probably be a change on the $5-7-million account, currently at Young & Rubicam/Chicago, down the road. And Adidas’ new controlling stockholder, Saatchi & Saatchi ceo Robert Louis-Dreyfus, is said to be promising agencies in the network a shot at the business.
But local creatives who know them say Strasser and Moore are a cutting-edge team with eclectic ad ideas who aren’t particulary fond of large, traditional agency structures.
Said one agency source who worked with the pair: ‘They’re not the easiest guys to get along with, from the typical ad agency’s perspective.’
Strasser and Moore developed their reputation in the early days at Nike, when Chiat/Day handled the account. Moore, described by competitors as a ‘creative genius,’ started Nike Design; Strasser was a top advertising executive.
Most recently Strasser and Moore have operated Sports Inc., a firm that handled design, marketing and some ad work for Adidas and other sports-oriented clients. Moore also developed his own line of shoes. It’s unclear whether Adidas bought out Sports Inc.
Louis-Dreyfus, who will leave Saatchi this month, has reportedly talked to Saatchi offices about pitching global category assignments for Adidas.
Moore told ADWEEK two weeks ago that although Adidas has established global categories – a single, worldwide campaign for basketball shoes, for instance – he’s not convinced that a single agency should be given a global assignment.
Moore said Y&R will finish up some projects for Adidas America, and then the company would probably stop advertising to assess its future advertising direction.
Adidas America plans to bump its $5-million ad budget to $7-million this year, according to Y&R.
Strasser, Moore and other Adidas executives were out of the country last week and unavailable for comment for this story.
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