Adidas Partners With Chinese Swimmer Ning Zetao, Volleyball Player Hui Ruoqi

Adidas agreed to partnerships with two Chinese athletes for a new campaign "intended to pave the way for a major retail expansion in the region," according to Tony Connelly of THE DRUM. The brand "recently partnered" with champion freestyle swimmer Ning Zetao and volleyball player Hui Ruoqi for its upcoming "One in a Billion" campaign. The pair will be featured in print and TV ads for the campaign which is aiming to "boost creativity in sport." Zetao has a "strong social media following in China" and was the first Asian to win a gold medal in 100-meter freestyle at the World Championships. Ruoqi, meanwhile, "captained the women’s volleyball team" to a Gold Medal at the Rio Olympics "just one year after undergoing heart surgery." The "One in a Billion" campaign "builds on the brand’s effort to become China’s number one sports brand" by '20 and expand its 10,000 stores in the country with an additional 2,000 (THE DRUM, 1/6).