Clearly, Nothing Is Impossible For Adidas
Saatchi & Saatchi Advertising reported yesterday that they held an online all-hands London office meeting. They pointed to the now decades-old agency inspirational slogan: Nothing Is Impossible as proof that they get things done.
What most Saatchi people do not know is that Adidas outright stole the Saatchi slogan, flipped it and used it for 20 years.
A bit of history for Saatchi people (and anyone that will find this micro-story about client theft) a bit amazing.
Back in the 1990’s Maurice Saatchi and I pitched for the global Adidas account.
We lost, read about the sad yet very teachable moment here, The Worst Advertising Presentation – Ever.
We Lost. But Adidas Stole The Saatchi Slogan.
After the pitch, Adidas quickly stole our Nothing Is Impossible slogan and flipped it to Impossible is Nothing.
Insane. Right?
I never got an answer to this simple question… Why Did Adidas Steal Its Advertising Slogan?? I did ask Adidas. Maybe I should have asked their agency, Leagas Delany.
That’s because they didn’t steal it you numpty. Impossible is nothing was conceived not by Leagas but by 180 and TBWA, ten years after your disastrous pitch so not ‘quickly’ as you claim. Is it borrowed from Nothing Is Impossible? Perhaps you ought to find out where NII came from before making such a claim. Your whole story about the pitch itself still garners sniggers for its ‘not my fault but everyone else’s’ thread.
Yikes. Nice words. Hey, I ran the fucking pitch so of course, it was my ultimate fault. My bottom line – bad pitch, great ideas, poorly presented, Adidas had never been known for its advertising (what did Leagas do?)… They would have been if they chose Saatchi. One more bottom line. This story has been read and absorbed by zillions. Glad you read it too.