Background: Adidas is the German sportswear giant that started in founder Adi Dassler's mother's laundry room back in 1924. It became a global name after its football boots were worn by the German national team when they won the 1954 World Cup. And today, it's equally known for both elite performance gear and streetwear staples like Sambas.  

What happened: At this year's London Marathon, Kenya's Sabastian Sawe made history by finishing the race in under two hours while wearing Adidas' new runners, the Adizero Adios Pro Evo 3. He even held up his shoes with "sub-2" written on them at the finish line... basically turning the race into a live product showcase. And he wasn't alone - the same shoes were also worn by the runner-up and the female winner of the marathon.

What else: The timing couldn't have been better, with the shoes officially launching on Thursday. The visibility from the marathon helped push Adidas shares up around 2% on Monday and put the brand in headlines around the world.

What's the key learning

💡 Sometimes the best marketing is making a product so good it becomes the news itself. Adidas spent three years researching and testing a "supershoe" designed to break records... and it worked. Sawe did the running, but Adidas’ shoes also played their part.

💡 Being on the feet of the man who just rewrote the history books at the London Marathon, is a very big deal. It's an event with 59,000 runners and millions watching globally. That exposure isn’t just a marketing campaign - it’s a marketing miracle.

💡 Real-world events can drive immediate demand spikes. After the marathon win, online search interest for Adidas' shoes jumped 335%. So now, the challenge for Adidas is ensuring that it can fulfil the expected increase in demand for these super shoes.