The adidas You Got This campaign is based on a global study* in which adidas demonstrated how crucial support and positive, encouraging behavior from coaches, parents, fans, and teammates are for athletes. These factors help athletes build self-confidence and perform at their best without feeling pressure.
In the study, over 12,000 athletes from 24 countries were surveyed, and the results revealed actions that have a significantly negative impact on young athletes’ willingness to participate in competitions:
- Constantly reminding them of the score during the game;
- Not giving athletes space when they’re having a bad day;
- Focusing exclusively on the result of the game;
- Over-coaching during play;
- Analyzing the game immediately after the match.
To counteract these negative behaviors, adidas created “Sideline Essentials,” a set of recommendations and practical tools to help supporters on the sidelines—coaches, parents, fans, and teammates—have a positive impact on players by encouraging them to trust themselves and perform at their best.
At the core of the You Got This campaign lies a universal truth: everyone needs someone to help them believe they can achieve anything they set their mind to, and to illustrate the importance of relationships between athletes and the positive influence of those who support them.
In Romania, the campaign received a local perspective by including former Olympic gymnast Diana Bulimar, who is now a junior coach working with children starting as young as 2 years old. Diana now has insight from both sides of sport—her competitive career that began at age 4, and her current role in building new athletic values as a coach. She has experienced the pressure of high-level international competitions, so who better to understand how an athlete feels in every moment, under the close watch of coaches, judges, audiences, and media?
Now, as a coach, Diana guides children at the beginning of their athletic journey with empathy, positive motivation, and consistent encouragement, protecting them from constant pressure and setting an example of proper behavior in relation to athletes in competition.
Here’s how Diana views her collaboration with adidas in this campaign supporting athletes through those around them and the general public:
“I would have loved, as a gymnast, to have the kind of support adidas now offers to athletes. During my career, I noticed certain things I wished I could change, and now I’m glad I get to implement those changes as a coach. This way, the children—especially the little girls I train—receive support and confidence from someone who has gone through the challenges of high-performance sports.
I feel that sport is heading in a good direction thanks to the new generation of coaches who succeed in inspiring children who want to practice a sport. Personally, the fact that the entire capital of Romania is filled with adidas posters leaves me speechless. It makes me feel like my hard work as an athlete is being recognized, and it gives me a boost to continue sharing my love for gymnastics.
There are days when I feel constant tension in the gym, the kids are overexcited, trying new elements and exercises without me, and I ask them why. The answer is: ‘Because we saw clips of you, we saw how much you practiced to succeed at the Olympics. That’s what I want too.’ How could I say another word when my heart fills with their passion for sport?
There are also days when I feel tired, and they come hug me, without saying a word.
I am grateful for their admiration and love, and I try in return to offer affection, understanding, and patience to keep their passion for sport and performance just as strong.”
The You Got This campaign continues through an integrated, multiplatform strategy that includes OOH components, social media, digital platforms, and in-store activations.
