Addendum: So, here’s something we didn’t know – Droga5 made this site. Now it all makes sense – Droga and digital? Not a good match. One look at that train wreck Honeyshed and you gotta wonder (as one surly reader pointed out) who in hell thought giving them the digital biz was a good idea.
A new global campaign for Adidas from 180/LA launched this week. These commercials follow-up on a theme that has been playing out since last year – brotherhood. The first spot features basketball legends such as Kevin Garnett and Tim Duncan mentoring younger players on the rules of the game. They’re nice, warm, blah, blah. I got no beef and yes, I’m a fan of narrative.
But here’s the thing – remember that superstar creative Colleen Decourcy is heading up new shop Riot, which operates beneath the TBWA banner, to handle Adidas’ digital business? It’s not a moment too soon.
For example – the Adidas companion site to this campaign. The digital experience of these spots is piss poor. In fact, it’s not an experience. It’s a website. With some information. And some videos. After you watch a view – then what?
The Real Talk section looks as though no one thought about site architecture or how users actually engage web sites. Yes, it’s beautiful, but the content, it overfloweth. Everywhere text, text, text.
The mobile portion offers users a chance to get calls from the likes of Chauncey Billups who happens to be my favorite player. I signed up. Okay. I’m going to get voice mail messages. It could be cool depending on what Billups has to say to me.
There are 100 ways for Adidas to be smarter and better with the mobile and other components of this site. It looks as though they didn’t answer some basic questions. Where my QR codes at? Where is my gaming at? How come I can’t connect with other users of the site? Why can’t I really, really join the Brotherhood? Why can’t muck around with the product? Why isn’t it more personal per basketball superstar so that I can connect with my favorite in a more personal way? Damn it to hell. Why am I just on the receiving end of this very expensive website?
Of course, you can’t hate and not give some suggestions, so here is my very detailed list of what Adidas should do about this limited engagement website from content to mobile and a better way to push some product:
Number one – SHIT. The site just crashed my computer. It’s game over kids.
More: W+K Portland’s New Nike Spot: Give Me Destiny Or Give Me Death