- Nike and Adidas shift from performance to purpose
- Taglines reflect Gen Z and millennial values
- Brands compete to connect emotionally
Marketing is built on frequency and consistency.
Being seen with the same message, over and over—by the right audience.
If this formula was already necessary at the beginning of advertising, imagine nowadays, when we are exposed to up to 10,000 ads per day.
Nike is well known for producing some of the greatest ads in the industry. For nearly four decades, Nike has been loyal to their famous “Just Do It”, introduced in 1988.
Adidas, on the other hand, built its global brand positioning around “Impossible is Nothing” since 2004. A two-decade campaign that established Adidas’ brand identity.
In the work of building a brand, a tagline is more than a cool phrase. It encapsulates its identity and values.
A professor once told me that “companies need to protect their taglines from CMOs’ egos” to ensure brand stability, since a new CMO often wants to leave their mark quickly.
However, a tagline is not necessarily permanent. Why? Brands need to shape their communication according to consumers’ worldview.
Not only around who customers are, but around who they aspire to be.
Today, society, particularly younger generations, value authenticity, emotional support and encouragement. Mental health, self-care and inclusion align with personal challenges and aspirations.
According to Deloitte, 89% of Gen Z and 92% of millennials say a sense of purpose is important to their job satisfaction and well-being.
With the cultural shifts in recent years, both Nike and Adidas revisited their brand positioning to stay relevant to today’s audience.
Nike reintroduced its iconic “Just Do It” for today’s generation with “Why Do It?”, a campaign that redefines greatness as a choice, not an outcome. It’s designed to empower young athletes with courage, celebrating the moment they decide to start.
Carlos Alcaraz, LeBron James, Rayssa Leal, and Caitlin Clark, among others, embody the new campaign’s message of showing up and keep going, embracing failure as part of the process. Trying is greatness.
Adidas’ new tagline, “You Got This,” reassures a generation searching for self-belief and community. It seeks to support their self-motivation to be a positive influence, protected from negative pressure.
Adidas made a bold move to regain lost market share, leaning into support over struggle. “You Got This” shifts the brand narrative from struggle to support, differentiating itself from decades of resilience-driven slogans: “Just Do It” (Nike), “The Only Way Is Through” (Under Armour), “I Am What I Am” (Reebok).
These shifts in brand positioning highlight a broader trend: sports brands are moving from performance-driven narratives to purpose-driven ones.
The competition isn’t just about products, but about who best reflects the emotional needs and aspirations of a new generation.
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