adidas’ World Of Football A Popular Attraction At World Cup

By Dan Migala, World Cup Correspondent

World Cup Fans Flock To Adidas' World Of Football

Thursday night was spent touring the adidas World of Football compound in Berlin, participating in the complex’ interactive areas and attending a viewing party for the Sweden-Paraguay match. The adidas World of Football is really a stadium atmosphere unto itself and will open the eyes of sports marketers looking to increase their relevance to fans surrounding a sold-out event. In addition to rows of soccer fields and interactive areas, the centerpiece of the 40,000-square-meter park is a replica of the Berlin Olympic Stadium that serves as a public viewing area providing up to 8,600 fans without tickets to the game an authentic stadium experience. Tickets for viewing parties cost about US$3.75 per game and adidas PR Manager Evan Wiener said that more than 100,000 tickets have already been sold and several matches are sold out. Wiener also took a few minutes to answer some other questions:

Q: Sponsors in North America have yet to produce anything at this level of activation. Please explain what adidas is trying to accomplish with this complex?

Wiener: From a sports culture standpoint, the adidas World of Football was made to bring people together in order to celebrate the world's most popular game and largest sporting event. It is also a great opportunity for the many people that do not have tickets for the matches but still want to watch the games in a stadium setting. From a marketing standpoint, we want to connect with as many soccer fans as possible across the globe. The adidas WOF is one way that we are doing this on-site in Germany. By building this World of Football on the grounds of the Germany Parliament, we are able to connect with thousands of soccer fans and tourists throughout the entire month.

Q: In my personal observations, the demographic mix was very diverse in age and gender. Who is adidas’ primary target audience for the World of Football?

Wiener: We are trying to connect with as many people as possible, whether they are diehard soccer fans or just the casual supporter tuning in for the World Cup. The stadium and park allows all to interact directly with the brand, whether that be through our soccer products, marketing campaigns or events at the stadium. Our general target is the teenage consumer, but we feel that we will be able to connect with anyone who comes into the stadium and park regardless of age, etc. There are all kinds of activities and events: Xbox, youth tournaments, soccer skills stations and live music.

Soccer Takes Over Grounds Of German Parliament

Q: After the World Cup, how will you monitor if this concept was a success?

Wiener: We will be able to monitor success by looking at how many visitors per day we have in the park. With such a central location in Berlin, we have already seen great results and high numbers of visitors each day. We have also already sold out many games that will be shown in the stadium. But in the larger picture of adidas World Cup marketing, the adidas World of Football is the best way to connect with on-site fans and tourists during the tournament. We have other initiatives to reach audiences on TV, in our stores, in key local markets and in stadiums, but the WOF is the best way for our brand to connect with thousands of fans traveling through Berlin. In addition, sales at the store in the park will also be a useful measurement tool.

Dan Migala will be filing dispatches from the ground in Germany.