Adidas will create 30K videos at the Boston Marathon — 1 for each runner

Dive Brief:

To celebrate its 30-year partnership with the Boston Athletic Association, Adidas is launching a "Here to Create Legend" campaign that will create 30,000 unique videos for each of runner in the Boston Marathon on April 16, The Drum reported.
The videos will be made from data generated from the radio-frequency identification (RFID) chips attached to race bibs and street mats that transmit ultra-high frequency radio signals through antennas. Adidas partnered with the digital agency Grow, which will use seven cameras and a 20-person crew to capture the footage from around the course. Individual footage will be taken at the 15K mark and at the finish line.
The personalized videos will be available within hours following the marathon. Runners will receive an email to access their videos, or they can visit the campaign's website and search by bib number. The videos will integrate scenes from the race with a soundtrack. To allow for the quick turnaround of the videos, Adidas conducted test runs at other races, storyboarded and prototyped prescriptive camera angles, and shot lists and sound effects to limit excess footage and the need for extensive editing, per The Drum.

Dive Insight:

Adidas' effort for the Boston Marathon shows how marketers are getting more ambitious with video efforts as digital technology becomes more advanced. In the case of this campaign, a blend of RFID technology and traditional camera footage is helping the brand produce individually personalized videos at scale, all in short timeframe.

Forty-four percent of marketers are turning to emerging technology like RFID, 360-degree video, beacons and virtual reality to support their sponsorships, an Association of National Advertisers survey found. Combing social media and bleeding edge tech can help brands boost awareness and connect with consumers at key moments before, during and after a sponsorship.

Adidas has been working on personalization in other ways. The athletic footwear and apparel company debuted a new app in November that uses artificial intelligence and Salesforce technology to offer customized and individualized shopping on mobile. Nearly half of U.S. consumers are more likely to purchase from brands that personalize their experiences, according to Accenture.

Adidas isn't alone in bringing a strong digital component into its Boston Marathon marketing. For this year's race, the life insurance company John Hancock partnered with Spotify to create custom playlists based on users' listening habits and offering motivational tips from the brand's elite athlete team.