adidas Intros Apparel Line With Exclusive P-O-P

Portland, Ore. -- To kick off the domestic portion of its first global apparel program, adidas USA produced customized P-O-P materials for the Finish Line chain of sporting goods stores, creating a temporary concept shop merchandising program. The program has now been expanded to other retailers, including the adidas areas within de-partment and sporting goods stores, where large graphics panels announce the new line.The apparel, launched under the brand name 3-Stripes, is part of a global apparel program known as Colors that was introduced in early 2003, explains Eric Akines, program manager for graphics. "It's a two-fold program in which 3-Stripes is a smaller portion of the global Colors campaign to introduce the apparel internationally," he says. "The apparel is lifestyle-driven and inspired by sport, with the three-stripes motif dominating."The clothing line includes tank tops, long- and short-sleeved tops, T-shirts, running shorts, dresses, skirts, pants, jackets, vests and warm-up gear. All feature the number three emblazoned over three vertical stripes."This apparel line is our main platform for 2003 to emphasize our 3-Stripes brand," Akines explains. "We want to get the message out there that we own this property. There is a lot of imitation product flowing into the market with stripes -- two stripes, four stripes, etc. We need to remind customers that we are the authority and we have three stripes."The company partnered earlier this year with 450 Finish Line stores to introduce the program, resulting in a custom concept shop that remained in place for a month, Akines says. "Working with them as an exclusive partner to create a custom P-O-P program gave us more floor space than they'd ever given to an apparel line before, and it was the first apparel promotional campaign ever held in these locations."The custom P-O-P included three key components: large hanging graphics panels for use in windows along with mannequins wearing 3-Stripes clothing, a footwear wall header with 10 graphics panels that ran horizontally above the main display for shoes, and a fixture package for the stores' slatwall display space that showcased accessories in the line. This latter package also included endcap fixtures with locking casters. The program was created by Production Photographics (PPG) in Los Angeles.The merchandising campaign was then expanded into the company's 150 areas in retailers around the country, using a typical package of updateable graphics that adidas supplies on a quarterly basis to the shops. The graphics packages feature the 3-Stripes program for three quarters, running through the end of the year. The graphics are used with the concept shops' existing fixtures, which include a brushed-aluminum finish on various modular units designed to handle a wide range of apparel. The concept shops, which adidas funds in exchange for the retail space, are growing consistently. The products are being carried by stores including Macy's, Nordstrom, Sports Chalet, G.I. Joe's and Dick's Sporting Goods."The program has a combined message. It presents graphics that showcase our products to consumers, but we also wanted to showcase who we are as a brand," Akines says.

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