BY BEN STOCKTON
Today, NL MVP and World Champ Kris Bryant signed a multi-year extension with Adidas. The terms of the deal were undisclosed. In Adidas’ Press Release, they say Bryant will collaborate with Adidas Baseball on future cleats and accessories. He will also “play a leading role in brand marketing campaigns.”
That’s essentially it for the details in the press release. No details on length of the deal. No details on money. No mention of a signature cleat or line of apparel and accessories. However, we can speculate on some things the brands have up their sleeves.
The language used in their press release mirrors that surrounding Adidas Basketball’s recent launch and marketing of the Harden Vol. 1. Referencing the Cubs’ third baseman as a creator, the brand seems to be positioning him in a similar vein to Harden. A contrast arises between Harden and Bryant though: Bryant’s extremely dynamic and mutli-faceted game compared to Harden’s perceived offense-only game.
Playing a “leading role” in marketing and on product development strikes me as coded language for either an official Bryant signature cleat or an unofficial signature cleat of which he will personally lead the development and marketing. Either way, gear aficionados can rejoice. Kris Bryant’s diverse skillset will require his cleats to be extremely versatile as well, so the vast majority of players will find something to enjoy.
Based on the success of Adidas, Bryant, and the Cubs in the past two seasons, this partnership projects to be one of the most exciting in baseball. Personally, I’m vastly more excited about what Adidas will do with Bryant than I am about Under Armour with Harper or Nike with Trout, and those pairings have provided us with extremely exciting footwear over the past few years.
Which superstar/footwear combo would you take with your first pick?
Source:
http://news.adidas.com/us/Latest-News/ALL/adidas-and-mvp-kris-bryant-extend-partnership/s/acf44b72-a949-41d6-948e-9c462976c38a