ADIDAS TRYING NEW TACT IN NEW SPOTS AROUND THE CFL

          adidas Canada is "trying to lighten up," as the company
     has launched a pair of TV spots that "use Nike-like" humor
     to promote adidas' sponsorship of the CFL, according to Paul
     Brent of the FINANCIAL POST.  But, "unlike Nike ... the
     spots are devoid of the superstar athletes."  The two spots
     use actors and not athletes and "play upon the oddities of
     Canadian football."  In one spot, an "unfortunate CFL rookie
     is depicted frozen to the goalpost by his tongue," and the
     ad ends with the line, "Texans.  They fall for it every
     time."  Another spot deals with a player struggling to
     understand the different CFL rules and ends with two vets
     wondering, "Do you think we should tell him about the three
     downs?"  Chris Stavenjord, President & Chief Creative
     Officer of adidas' ad agency, Communique Group, said, "We
     wanted to highlight the American players who are coming up
     from the U.S. and may not be aware of the idiosyncrasies of
     the game which really make it ours" (FINANCIAL POST, 7/12).