Laurence King/Chronicle Books
Vertical Football
Adidas
In 2003, sporting-gear company Adidas— with the help of TBWA/Japan — sponsored a soccer match between two athletes suspended high above the street on wires. The players duked it out sideways, with an Adidas billboard serving as the soccer field. Staged in Tokyo and Osaka, the campaign drew curious looks from passersby — who took photos and no doubt told their friends, family, and co-workers about the spectacle. Adidas may replicate the strategy in New York.