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FIFA World Cup ? Football Legend, Franz Beckenbauer o n Who Will Lead Their Team To Victory

- The 2010 FIFA World Cup? Quest –

Johannesburg , 8 th June 2010 — Today, football icon and two times FIFA World Cup? champion, Franz Beckenbauer proudly launched T he Quest; adidas’ new interactive FIFA World Cup? football campaign during a press conference and photo call at the official opening of the adidas PR Headquarters, Jo’bulani Central in Johannesburg. Beckenbauer, unveiled an exclusive painting by the adidas African artist team which features 32 players from the 32 federations playing at the FIFA World Cup? and signals the start of adidas’ activities in South Africa.

The Quest is the culmination of a long term campaign positioning the world’s best players and their skills as what ‘Every Team Needs’. The campaign sets up the question on everyone’s lips – “Who Will Lead Their Team To Victory?” and puts football fans firmly in the driving seat by inviting them to engage, interact and converse with other fans from all over the world and the world’s biggest football brand during the world’s biggest sporting event.

Kicking off with a star-studded film, created in the style of a movie trailer, The Quest challenges fans from all over the world to sign up to a multi-platform digital innovation. Highlights include a Live Graphic Novel that combines live action and animation in an interactive experience that reacts as the tournament unfolds. And the adidas FIFA World Cup? Match-Ups in which fans are encouraged to participate and set up head to heads with 32 players from 32 countries and make their predictions on which player or team will win. Accurate predictions and social interactions with other fans on www.facebook.com/adidasfootball can earn participants valuable reward points with the opportunity to win unique awards and prizes such as adidas gear signed by their favourite player or Official FIFA World Cup? Jabulani match balls.

Levin Reyner, Director of adidas Global Football Communications comments “The 2010 FIFA World Cup? is the greatest football event on the planet and the perfect platform for us to launch our new campaign which enables consumers worldwide to interact with each other and engage in the tournament like never before. Our previous campaigns only highlighted certain players and teams, ‘The Quest’ incorporates players from every team - something never done before!”

As well as the new multi-platform digital innovation, Jo’bulani Central will host the adidas FIFA World Cup? artist team who will create the Live Quest. The group of African artists will capture those moments on the pitch that make history – a wonder goal, a penalty shoot out, pure elation, the pain of defeat, individual brilliance or team effort – these incredible moments will be interpreted into daily paintings and form the Live Quest. The paintings will then be auctioned via e-bay throughout the tournament with proceeds going to the Nelson Mandela 46664 Foundation.

The Quest, created by adidas and 180 Amsterdam/RIOT, launches worldwide on 8th June and features 32 players from all 32 federations playing at the 2010 FIFA World Cup?. They include FIFA World Player of the Year; Lionel Messi (Argentina) plus Steven Pienaar (South Africa), Jozy Altidore (U.S.A), Shunsake Nakamura (Japan), Salomon Kalou (C?te d’Ivoire), Eljero Elia (The Netherlands), Bastian Schweinsteiger (Germany), David Villa (Spain), Yoann Gourcuff (France), Steven Gerrard (England), Diego Forlán (Uruguay), Andrés Guardado (Mexico), Obafemi Martins (Nigeria), Chu-Young Park (Korea Republik), Theofanis Gekas (Greece), Karim Matmour (Algeria), Zlatko Dedic (Slovenia), John Painsil (Ghana), Nikola Zigic (Serbia), Tim Cahill (Australia), Aurélien Chedjou (Cameroon), Daniel Jensen (Denmark), Daniele De Rossi (Italy), Andrew Boyens (New Zealand), Nelson Valdez (Paraguay), Stanislav Sestak (Slovakia), An Yong Hak (Korea DPR), Tranquillo Barnetta (Switzerland), Sim?o (Portugal), Kaká (Brazil), Mark Gonzalez (Chile) and Maynor Figueroa (Honduras).

-Ends-

Notes to editors…

adidas FIFA World Cup? TRAILER: THE QUEST

DESCRIPTION: The adidas FIFA World Cup? trailer film announces the Match-Up experience on facebook.com/adidasfootball.

The trailer is designed to lead you to the Facebook page where the viewer will be faced with the ultimate player experience where every one of our 32 hero players representing their country will be matched up against each other. The digital experience is all about letting you decide who takes home the trophy.

How?

You pick a favourite player from the 32 and weigh up his chances against opposing players leading their team. It’s not just about opinions but statistics as well. You receive points and prizes for how well your player does in the actual tournament. So for instance, if Argentina plays England, THE SPARK (Lionel Messi) faces THE POWERHOUSE (Steven Gerrard). You can change opinions and predict the outcomes as the tournament unfolds.

adidas at the FIFA World Cup?

adidas is an Official Partner, Official Supplier & Official Licensee of the 2010 FIFA World Cup?. The adidas brand and the people behind it feel privileged to contribute to this magnificent event. The 2010 FIFA World Cup? involvement of adidas is bigger than ever before. The tournament offers adidas a perfect platform to showcase its global football leadership and its passion for sport to a cumulative audience of billions of spectators.

MEDIA CONTACT

During the 2010 FIFA World Cup? adidas will have its on-the-ground base at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg. At our PR Headquarters, “Jo’bulani Central”, we will be hosting a wide range of events throughout the tournament. Please feel invited to join us there. For more information, please contact us and for directions visit: www.saconvention.co.za.

Thomas van Schaik Susie Boylan

E-mail: E-mail:

Mobile: +27 718 996366 Mobile: +27 718 996368

Erik van Leeuwen Rob Hughes

E-mail: E-mail:

Mobile: +27 718 996367 Mobile: +27 718 996369

To watch, embed, link to and download multi media content please visit our social media newsroom, the adidas News Stream on www.adidasnewsstream.com. Alternatively visit the Digital Media Kit on www.adidas.com/fifaworldcup