http://football.guardian.co.uk/News_Story/0,,1751682,00.html "Nike star Thierry Henry has defected to rival Reebok to become the new face of the sports brand's controversial "I am what I am" campaign.The Arsenal footballer will move to Reebok from August 1 after his involvement with Nike's World Cup 2006 advertising is complete." If this is true, I hope adidas improves the overall look of that brand - Reebok stuff (from the shoes to the advertising) looks terrible IMO...
I wonder what this portends for Henry's future in general? After all, Arsenal is one of Nike's major clients and TH at Arsenal and Nike always seemed like a perfect marketing match.
You guys are all missing the boat. Clearly this is a well-thought out move by Arsene Wenger, in which he gets Thierry Henry complete access to all things Reebok, so that he can finally figure out how to beat Bolton and defeat the boring 4-5-1 once and for all. Doesn't it make perfect sense? Sheesh, you people never watched the X Files or something? </irony>
i think the controversy was over 50-cent, not Henry. 50's background, message, and general incoherence making him a poor example for the kids...or some such.
That's true. Adidas are really taking the fight to nike - but the latest joga bonito campaign really buries everything adidas has done this far. This may have to do with the WC and nothing to do with clubs as adidas have paid 200mm to block out nike from advertising in the world cup - and its not a good move to keep a player like Henry out of the advertising during the WC. I wonder what becomes of ronaldinho though.
how legit is this sorce? I would really hate for Henry to start wearing Reebok, Arsenal Henry and Nike have always been one.
I think this is a BS story. It's not appeared anywhere else and Reebok is a generally weak brand. Why else would Adidas change Liverpool's brand to their own from the company they purchased? I haven't seen any official release from Reebok and will only believe it when I see TH14 wearing those pieces of shite. Henry is one of Nike's flagship athletes - I even saw pics of him at Dick's Sporting Goods just north of Atlanta. No mention on Reebok's corporate press page: http://www.reebok.com/useng/ir/press/2006/default.htm No mention on the Adidas-Salomon corporate page: http://www.adidas-group.com/en/home/welcome.asp
I agree. I also think that the Reebok brand name will disappear altogether and Adidas will be all that's left. Besides, Reebok's shoes are terrible, I don't see why TH14 would switch to them. The money's not that good.
how do you explain these quotes then http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?view=DETAILS&grid=D&xml=/sport/2006/04/12/sfnar312.xml
Wow. The Telegraph story all but confirms it. That pretty much blows. Any footballer who's worn a pair of Reeboks will tell you they're garbage. I guess with Nike being so focused on Ronaldinho, Ronaldo, and Rooney, TH14 was feeling like he wasn't high enough on the totem pole. I hope that same sentiment doesn't take foot when he's at the bargaining table with Arsenal.
Man that is a shame. I just hope that with him going to Reebok (Adidas) that this doesn't mean he will join a Reebok (Adidas) team (Real Madrid, isn't Adidas getting Chelsea next year?{though I doubt he joins}). I seriously doubt that he will leave but this has apparently thrown Nike for a loop. How much sway does a person's sponsorship have in what team he plays for typically in soccer? Thank ya now...Roscoe!
And you've seen what kind of season DB10 has had... Reeboks are complete crap. Adidas should've dissolved the brand altogether and put Iverson, Henry, and all of their other prime athletes in their main brand.
remeber when andre agassi switched to adidas from nike? there was the same sentiment - agassi was the face of nike for so many years and he just up and switched to adidas. adidas did make a huge contribution to his charity so it wasn't necessarily "all about the money". if henry wants to stand by his values and ot be associated with rappers then good for him by trying to portray a positive image.
Adidas would be pretty stupid to dissolve a Reebok brand with 100+ years of tradition. Nike would love that - it would only make their marketing strangehold on basketball stronger.