Adidas Wants Young Athletes to Stop Obsessing Over Leo Messi and Other Sports Stars

New spot a move away from hero worship

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Kill your idols, as they say. Or, at least stop worshipping them so much. That's what Adidas' new inspirational 60-second spot from 72andSunny is about, though it'd be easy to get caught up in the ad's focus on soccer star Lionel Messi. 

Instead of zeroing in on well-known athletes to pitch their products—though they're still featured in the campaign—Adidas is looking to champion up-and-coming talent. 

"We live in a world where typically athletes are told to follow or emulate their heroes," said Lia Stierwalt, senior director of global communications and media for Adidas.

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