Rick and Morty Promote Adidas X Speedportal
The latest incarnation of Adidas' speed boot silo, the X Speedportal, was officially released yesterday. As well as including top players like Mo Salah in the launch campaign, Adidas went a different marketing route, bringing the Rick and Morty team on board to create a short video.
Rick and Morty Adidas X Speedportal Ad
The "Solar Green/Core Black/Solar Yellow" colourway and the name of the boot itself bear obvious similarities to the portals used by Rick and Morty to travel through space, creating an easy tie-in for the German brand and the hit tv show.
Alongside the photos of Salah emerging from a portal wearing the new boots, a Rick and Morty short was produced starring the Liverpool forward, as well as star of the Dutch women's team and raw herring enthusiast, Vivianne Miedema.
The titular protagonists were obviously involved, with the show's trademark humour seeing Morty unwillingly thrown into a football-themed adventure while wearing the new boots, all for the Rick's personal gain, which in this case was "free sandwiches in the press area."
Collaborations are now a well-worn part of marketing and sales drives from brands and clubs alike, and although the popularity of the cartoon guarantees wide-reaching publicity for the X Speedportal boots, Adidas deserve some credit for this effort.
They allowed their product to be humorously mocked, with the boot's tech features dismissively referred to as "marketing terms".
It seems that they didn't attempt to stifle the creativity or interfere with the writing process, letting the otherworldly humour be the focal point of the ad instead of going for a hard sell and portraying the boots as "game changers" or other similar hyperbole.
Rick's indifference to the whole thing is clear at the end, a believable representation of his character from the show rather than an altered version for advertising purposes only.
What do you think of this marketing collaboration from Adidas and Rick and Morty? Would you like to see more light-hearted stuff like this from the big brands? Or do you think the usual, more serious campaigns work better? Share your views in the comments.
No More Kappa: Adidas Le Mans FC 26-27 Home and Away Kits Released
French club Le Mans FC has officially launched its new home and away kits for the 26-27 season, marking the beginning of a new supplier deal with Adidas. Taking over from previous manufacturer Kappa, the German brand has signed a contract running until 2030 to supply technical apparel for the team.
The Le Mans 26-27 home shirt features a bold vertical stripe design combining the club's traditional red and yellow colors with beige detailing. The 26-27 away kit comes in predominantly yellow with a horizontal red chest band trimmed in white, paired with red Adidas details on the shoulders and chest. These new primary options join the previously released 26-27 third shirt, which features a green and white checkered graphic inspired by the famous local motorsport racing heritage. All three shirts are now available through the club's official store.
FC Dordrecht 26-27 Home Kit Released
Dutch Eerste Divisie club FC Dordrecht has officially launched its new home kit for the 26-27 season, crafted by Capelli Sport. The new uniform stays true to the club's traditional color scheme while offering a refined visual design for the upcoming campaign.
The FC Dordrecht 26-27 home shirt features a green base decorated with a subtle geometric grid graphic pattern across the torso. A prominent white horizontal hoop runs across the chest, framing the main sponsor text. White sleeves with green cuffs, a clean white V-neck collar, and Capelli's trademark shoulder cubes give the kit a structured look.
Positioned on the left side of the chest is the FC Dordrecht crest with the Energiek Dordt text placed directly above, paired with a white Capelli Sport brand mark on the right chest. The kit will be worn throughout FC Dordrecht's 26-27 Eerste Divisie matches.
1. FC Magdeburg 26-27 Third Kit Released
German 2. Bundesliga club 1. FC Magdeburg and technical sponsor Hummel have officially unveiled the club's new third kit for the 26-27 season. Named "Platte", the charcoal and black shirt pays tribute to East German urban architecture and local fan culture.
The 1. FC Magdeburg 26-27 third shirt features a dark base highlighted by a tonal front graphic depicting an M10-type Plattenbau residential building block, an iconic feature of Magdeburg's cityscape since the 1970s. Designed in collaboration with fan group Block U, the kit incorporates street art elements throughout, including customized graffiti-style renderings for main sponsor Humanas on the chest and sleeve sponsor SWM.
Additional details include "Aus der Platte" printed inside the collar alongside graffiti-inspired lettering, white Hummel chevrons on the shoulders, and the founding year 1965 on the upper back. The player names and squad numbers are also presented in a custom graffiti tag font to complete the street-inspired look.
Darmstadt 98 26-27 Away Kit Released
German club SV Darmstadt 98 and kit supplier Craft have officially unveiled the team's new away kit for the 26-27 season. The new strip introduces a refined, retro-inspired aesthetic, featuring an elegant off-white cream base complemented by classic blue details.
The centerpiece of the Darmstadt 26-27 away jersey is a bold royal blue horizontal chest band, which contains a subtle tonal fleur-de-lis pattern inside as a nod to the club's iconic lily symbol. Centered directly above the chest stripe are the blue lily badge and the Craft logo, while main sponsor HAIX is printed inside the chest band in white. Blue detailing on the sleeve cuffs and shoulder seams completes the clean look.
Eintracht Braunschweig 26-27 Away Kit Released
German 2. Bundesliga club Eintracht Braunschweig and technical sponsor Umbro have officially launched the new away shirt for the 26-27 season.
The Umbro Eintracht Braunschweig 26-27 away jersey features a rich blue base paired with elegant gold accents. The collar and sleeve cuffs are detailed in a darker navy blue, with the cuffs featuring a subtle gold patterned trim. The circular club crest, Umbro double diamond logo, and main sponsor BRAWO GROUP are all applied in matching gold accents.
Blue shorts and socks complete the full Eintracht Braunschweig 26-27 away strip.