Menu
Marketing and Sponsorship

RGIII Responds To Backlash After Adidas Launches "All In For Week 1" Campaign

Redskins QB Robert Griffin III yesterday "made public assurances he won’t rush his recovery from knee surgery" after the launch of an adidas ad campaign promoting Griffin's goal of recovering in time for the start of the '13 NFL season, according to Rich Campbell of the WASHINGTON TIMES. Griffin yesterday posted a link to adidas' new ad, writing "I'm #allinforweek1." He then wrote on his Twitter feed, "Feel like I need to say this..Although my goal is to start Week 1, that doesn’t mean I will compromise my career to do so." An adidas spokesperson did not comment as to "whether the commercial was recorded before or after Griffin had surgery on Jan. 9" (WASHINGTON TIMES, 2/20). In DC, Mike Jones noted shortly after Griffin tweeted the link to the ad, Twitter "erupted in a flurry as followers wondered why the sports apparel company would push for Griffin to make such a speedy recovery when there are significant risks involved" (WASHINGTONPOST.com, 2/19). BUSINESS INSIDER's Tony Manfred wrote the commercial "puts more pressure on RGIII to come back." Marketing Griffin as "a superhero has created a real-world incentive for him to come back from knee surgery as soon as possible, which might not be the best thing for him to do" (BUSINESSINSIDER.com, 2/19). ESPN's J.A. Adande asked, "Why put that additional pressure on himself?” Griffin should come back on his timetable and take a “hint from his fellow adidas stablemate,” Bulls G Derrick Rose, who is rehabbing a knee injury and “is willing to sit out the entire season and come back when he’s good and ready” ("Around The Horn," ESPN, 2/19).

WHO IS IN CHARGE? Columnist Kevin Blackistone wondered who is "running the program" concerning Griffin's recovery -- adidas or the Redskins? Blackistone: "All of a sudden this seems like this is something programmed for a commercial to sell more adidas paraphernalia wrapped in this campaign about whether he can get back.” This comes after adidas last fall launched a campaign around Rose "that was all about him getting back, and he hasn’t come back yet." ESPN’s Pablo Torre said it is a "good thing when an athlete can capitalize on a horrible event" like blowing out a knee. However, Torre added, "Using the term ‘blow it up’ when you did just blow out your right knee maybe not the best marketing synergy there” ("Around The Horn," ESPN, 2/19).

SBJ Morning Buzzcast: March 25, 2024

NFL meeting preview; MLB's opening week ad effort and remembering Peter Angelos.

Big Get Jay Wright, March Madness is upon us and ESPN locks up CFP

On this week’s pod, our Big Get is CBS Sports college basketball analyst Jay Wright. The NCAA Championship-winning coach shares his insight with SBJ’s Austin Karp on key hoops issues and why being well dressed is an important part of his success. Also on the show, Poynter Institute senior writer Tom Jones shares who he has up and who is down in sports media. Later, SBJ’s Ben Portnoy talks the latest on ESPN’s CFP extension and who CBS, TNT Sports and ESPN need to make deep runs in the men’s and women's NCAA basketball tournaments.

SBJ I Factor: Nana-Yaw Asamoah

SBJ I Factor features an interview with AMB Sports and Entertainment Chief Commercial Office Nana-Yaw Asamoah. Asamoah, who moved over to AMBSE last year after 14 years at the NFL, talks with SBJ’s Ben Fischer about how his role model parents and older sisters pushed him to shrive, how the power of lifelong learning fuels successful people, and why AMBSE was an opportunity he could not pass up. Asamoah is 2021 SBJ Forty Under 40 honoree. SBJ I Factor is a monthly podcast offering interviews with sports executives who have been recipients of one of the magazine’s awards.

Shareable URL copied to clipboard!

https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Daily/Issues/2013/02/20/Marketing-and-Sponsorship/RGIII.aspx

Sorry, something went wrong with the copy but here is the link for you.

https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Daily/Issues/2013/02/20/Marketing-and-Sponsorship/RGIII.aspx

CLOSE