Andrea Felsted, Columnist

A Kim Kardashian Moment for Adidas

Sportswear maker pins hopes on celebrity players

May 12, 2016 at 12:13 PM UTC

Andrea Felsted is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering consumer goods and the retail industry. Previously, she was a reporter for the Financial Times.

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It's done it with Kanye West, now Adidas is pinning its hopes on a gang of soccer galacticos from Lionel Messi to Gareth Bale.

Call it the Kardashian effect in sport if you like. Brands want more of a bang for their marketing buck by sponsoring individual sporting celebrities -- grandly titled as ambassadors -- as some cut back on their team partnerships. West has re-energized the Adidas fashion brand with his Yeezy range. Such associations work for sportswear too.