When thinking of the University of Oregon, people tend to think of two thing: Number one being, “What uniforms are they wearing today?” and number two. “NIKE.” For the longest time, Nike has been at the top of sportswear industry, signing all the major athletes to rock their brand and leaving their competition far behind them. Everybody wanted the Swoosh on the side of their sneaker. Even rapper, Mac Miller (RIP) made a song about Nikes.

With that being said, competition like Adidas had to find a way to keep up with the powerhouse that is Nike. What they did was significant in the sportswear world. Instead of going after the high profile athletes that everybody wanted to sign, they decided to pursue athletes that they believed would fit the brand well. In the process, they signed star basketball players like James Harden, Andrew Wiggins, and Damian Lillard– players who represented and promoted the brand well. Instead of having just another athlete rock their shoes, the Adidas athletes gave the brand a sense of identity and grit.

What really set Adidas apart was their ability to identify with big names outside of the sports world. Adidas released collaborations and partnerships with high profile recording artists who related to the younger generation. With influencers like Kanye West, Migos, Pusha-T, Rita Ora, and Pharrell promoting your brand, you are bound to explode. They embraced a culture of creativity amongst the two worlds of sports and music. Their release of this campaign made the brand explode.

This brand transformation allowed Adidas to set themselves apart from the rest of the sportswear world and create their own independent growth aside from Nike. The younger generations like this style, and I do not see it going anywhere soon. Coming to the U of O and having an uncle that worked for Nike, I am obligated to dislike Adidas products, but I can’t hate what they did here.