Adidas on its strategy to stop women dropping out of sport
To coincide with the launch of its period-proof product, Adidas created a free lesson plan equipping young people with the tools to manage their cycle through nutrition and exercise.
Adidas became the first major sportswear brand to introduce a line of period-proof activewear in 2021. However, rather than opt for a standard product launch, the sportswear giant had something else in mind.
According to St Mary’s University, one in four girls drop out of sport due to a lack of product to support their needs and resources to help manage their cycles. Armed with these stats, Adidas and agency Hill+Knowlton Strategies teamed up with sports scientist Dr Georgie Bruinvels to create a lesson plan explaining what happens to the body during menstruation and how this can be harnessed through sport.
A free resource for schools, parents and coaches, the (PE)riod Lesson Plan provided young people with the tools to manage their cycle through nutrition and exercise. Designed to help keep more girls and women in sport, the lesson plan was translated into 20 languages and distributed to schools, sports clubs and NGOs globally.
The team amplified the lesson plan launch through leading sporting bodies, while a Twitter thread about the project became the brand’s most successful organic post of 2021.
Not only did the product sell out on launch day, the campaign garnered more than 1,000 pieces of global media coverage across 20 countries, reaching 6.7 billion. Adidas notched up a 6,663% rise in engagement versus a key competitor with an app focused on menstruation, while the team collected more than 200 social clippings, including mentions by leading athletes.
Winner of the Marketing Week Award for Content, Adidas exceeded reach, advocacy and sentiment targets by 120% compared to previous campaigns.
