For Ramadan 2024, Adidas launched a digital-first, global running guide series titled ‘Optimize Your Training During Ramadan’.
Objective
The campaign aimed to be inclusive and educational, to spark conversation, inform people on a topic they might not know about and to help and encouraging people to exercise effectively, efficiently and safely while fasting during Ramadan.
This is a challenge that can lead to a dilemma and Adidas aims to provide expert guidance on how to maintain physical health without compromising spiritual duties.
Adidas 2024 initiative followed on from 2023’s award winning, global ‘From Sunset To Sunrise’ campaign which was developed in Sweden in collaboration with Obeya and adidas’ Adidas Brand & Communication Manager (Running) Redwaan Hossain.
This opened with a campaign film introducing the idea that training and fasting can coexist and then, according to the sportswear company, ‘showcasing a journey beyond sports and the beauty of the Ramadan season’.
The 2024 initiative focuses on provide useful advice and tools.
Activation
The creative takes a more lighthearted and community approach: including featuring a wider, larger athlete community in terms of age, ethnicity and religion. Indeed, it also includes non-Muslims in the narrative in order to encourage everyone to connect with the topic and build more knowledge about Ramadan and the traditions and cultures of others.
The German sportswear giant’s campaign rolled out from 11 March and spanned TV, digital, social (YouTube and Instagram) and PR, as well as offering a central hub to provide guidance, tools, inspiration and to share knowledge.
The campaign launched with a hero film initially running across owned digital and social platforms. The inclusive spot and the core programme set out to support Muslims worldwide to navigate the challenge of adhering to their exercise regimen amid fasting from sunrise to sunset.
“In Sweden, Muslims represent around 8% of the population. That’s nearly 1 million people who live and work here, who watch adverts, who want to be reflected in the content they see, and who spend an estimated 1.5 billion SEK during Ramadan. I’m Muslim myself and I train a lot. My family has always encouraged me to fast during Ramadan, but I used to see it as an obstacle. A couple of years ago, however, I tried combining fasting with my training — and I was surprised to find that it worked. This personal experience was the starting point for launching our first-ever Ramadan ad campaign at Adidas Sweden. So we teamed up with advertising agency Obeya to be more inclusive: its Creative Director Canan Yasar is Muslim. Plus, our film director was also a Muslim and a former professional footballer in Bangladesh. This not only helped us create our Ramadan campaign, but it also sparked an inspiring and educational conversation with our audience about fasting and exercise.”
Adidas Brand & Communication Manager (Running) Redwaan Hossain
The campaign was created by a group at agency Obeya led by Canan Yasar and Julia Karlsson and produced with The Talent Group where the team included Director Robin Sharmin, with Producer Eric Gripenblad and Executive Producer Alfred Lauritzen. Other members of the production team included DOP Lionel Turner, 1AC Rasmus Frostell, 2AC Jonath Matthew, FAD Henrik Andersson, SAD & Casting Edvin Åhrström, Gaffer Fredrik Nordesjö, Best Boy Fredrik Mickelson, Trinity Operator Nestor Salazar, Sound Technician Edvard Saare, MUA Sainabo Secka, Stylists Alex Urombi and Oscar Ferrer, Production Assistant Ludvig Woodrow Aggerborg, Runners William Tibbling, Clara Moksnes and Ben Conforme with BTS-Photography’s Daniela Spiroska, plus MUA B-unit’s Jenny Beckmann and Gaffer B-Unit’s Majaq Julén.
Other members of the team included Editor Martin Zaar, Additional Editor Gustav Öström, Colourist Joakim Rissveds, VFX & Online Operator Stefan Ekman, Sound Designer Julius Rydinger, Music Engineer Maceo Frost, Motion Graphics Artist Issa Kram and Copywriter Julia Stigborg.
In 2024, the Muslim Holy Month of Ramadan – which runs from 10 March to 9 April – overlaps with multiple major sporting occasions (including the Guinness Six Nations and European rugby, the UEFA Champions League and the final third of the European football season, as well as MCAA March Madness, the closing phases of the NBA regular season and early Formula One races…to name just a few), so players, clubs and brands need accommodate their Muslim players’ needs to balance their physical and spiritual wellbeing.
This follows on from 2023’s ‘Adidas X Ramadan’ campaign: which was primarily created in and for the Swedish market – a country where Muslims represent around 8% of the population (around one million people).
The campaign, focused on delivering the message that people can continue their fitness regime during Ramadan and that fasting should not stop them from working out, wanted to highlight that staying fit and active during the Holy month is achievable with the correct approach.
The campaign starred Swedish footballer Nabil Bahoui and boxer Zahra Al-Mougrabi who shared their experiences as Muslim athletes and their tips for maintaining their fitness routine while fasting.
This campaign spanned TV, digital, social, PR and in-stadium. In 2023 the start of Ramadan coincided with Sweden playing a key home game against Belgium and the film was showcased in-stadium, while during the game LED screens displayed the campaign’s call to action in both Swedish and Arabic.
This campaign was developed with creative and PR agency Obeya, production company Blonde Inc, with post production and VFX by Misgena Mgmt and The Talent Agency.
Outcome
As well as winning awards and generated plenty of buzz in the sports and the marketing spaces, the 2023 campaign’s measurable results included driving ‘a 2% increase in share of Search’. Indeed, ‘adidas + Ramadan” appeared in the company’s ‘top 20 most searched keywords’ for the first time in Sweden.
Ramadan, the Arabic word for the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, represents that the month during which the first verses of the Quran were revealed to the Prophet Muhammad and is thus considered the religion’s holiest period of the year and is dedicated to prayer, reflection and community.
It is also the month when many Muslims fast through the day: not eating or drinking between sun rise and sun set.
It is becoming increasingly common for professional clubs and elite sports events to adapt to Ramadan and more brands, like Adidas, as using the period as an opportunity to provide support, deliver messages of inclusivity (as well as boosting their brand and driving sales).