Outdoor: the athletic brand in the outdoors

adidas has a long history in outdoor, going back as far as 1978, when adidas and Reinhold Messner developed a new generation of boots which he used to reach the basecamp on his way to become the first man to climb Mount Everest without the help of oxygen equipment. With this heritage and the growth in the outdoor sports sector, adidas has invested in building an authentic and performance-orientated outdoor market position, through such products collections as TERREX and SUPER TREKKING. Given the progress made and the attractive future growth potential, adidas now recognises outdoor as one of its key categories.

A key strategic priority for the category is creating a technology platform with unique features that make the brand stand out from the competition. adidas Outdoor’s key concept is the TERREX product range, which targets athletic-minded outdoor consumers who want to challenge themselves mentally and physically. TERREX stands for lightweight, highly functional outdoor products which allow the consumer to move fast and comfortably through the outdoors. As well as footwear, adidas also offers a holistic product range from head to toe comprising apparel, backpacks and eyewear including latest adidas technologies and renowned partner technologies such as GORE-TEX^®, WINDSTOPPER^® and Nano-Tex^®.

As in other categories, creating mind share, credibility and visibility through partnerships and icons is an important tool to drive market share growth. adidas Outdoor ambassadors and athletes include Thomas and Alexander Huber (also known as the Huber Brothers) – two of the world’s best climbers, Beat Kammerlander (climbing), Bernd Zangerl (bouldering) and other top athletes from various outdoor sports such as kayaking, slack lining, hang gliding and speed flying.

In 2010, adidas will continue to build on its growing momentum in particular with the TERREX product range, which will include highlight products such as the TERREX Lite Softshell jacket as well as the TERREX Fast X FM outdoor boots. These products, as well as the brand’s authenticity, will be promoted by a fully integrated marketing campaign featuring expedition images of the Huber Brothers showcasing the authenticity of the brand and its products, as well as cooperation activities with key retailers in the sporting goods and specialty outdoor channels.