Adidas "signed Arsenal forward Theo Walcott as its latest global ambassador in a multi-year deal," according to Shona Ghosh of MARKETING MAGAZINE. Walcott will also join existing adidas football players Luis Suaraz, Gareth Bale, James Rodriguez and Karim Benzema in the sports brand's current "There will be haters" campaign. Adidas "has not said how long the deal will last, nor how much it cost" (MARKETING MAGAZINE, 2/20). THE DRUM's Seb Joseph wrote Walcott’s arrival "represents something of a coup for the business" as its most high-profile English player Steven Gerrard prepares to depart for the U.S. next season. Given Walcott’s high-profile status for both club and country, adidas "could see him as a likely successor to lead its activity in England." He first endorsed the brand Saturday, "donning the latest adiZero F50 boots for the first time against Crystal Palace." Walcott’s defection from Nike to adidas "ends a 12-year-deal that first began when he was 14" (THE DRUM, 2/20). Walcott: "I am excited to be joining adidas and lining up alongside some of the world’s best players" (INDEPENDENT, 2/20).
