The origin and future of adidas in the ” Z.N.E. HOODIE

The “ADIDAS Z.N.E. HOODIE” has been making great strides since its launch in September. We spoke with Tsuyoshi Isobe, director of the adidas Marketing Division and in charge of the athletics category, to get an inside look at the brand, which is aiming to become a new pillar of adidas Japan’s athletics business.

What is “ADIDAS Z.N.E.”?

Z.N.E. stands for ZERO NEGATIVEENERGY. It is based on the concept of “athletes reaching a state of “nothingness” and concentration in preparation for a game. The “Z.N.E. HOODIE” was designed for athletes to maintain their own focus under mighty pressure before and during a game, and for athletes to challenge their own goals with firm mental unity.” The line is a strong reflection of adidas’ identity of “maximizing athlete performance.

The product specs are a combination of adidas’ craftsmanship, luxurious fabrics, and attention to design and detailing. In particular, the large hood, the symbol of the ” Z.N.E. HOODIE, ” was designed to help athletes block out external noise and unify their minds before a game. The double-layered construction is used to reduce noise. The material used is “Double Face Double Knit,” which has excellent elasticity, stretch, and resilience. The “drop-shoulder” silhouette is designed with a lowered shoulder line, and other features are used throughout the garment to achieve both comfort and ease of movement. From the design to the materials used, the concept of “gear that helps athletes reach a state of “nothingness” in preparation for competition” is carried through.

The hood allows over-the-ear headphones to be worn while wearing the hood. Many athletes listen to music before games. There are also many athletes who talk to themselves as if to suggest something to themselves. Reflecting the characteristics of such athletes, the zipper is designed to cover the lower half of the face when raised to the top, so that the athlete can concentrate on talking to himself or herself without being noticed. This product is truly rooted in the psychological insight of athletes before a game.

Product inquiries: adidas Group Customer Service TEL: 0570-033-033

Z.N.E.’s business positioning in adidas Positioning and Brand Strategy

——— How did you come up with the novel concept of “Z.N.E.,” which is opening up a new market in the sportswear market for athletes to focus towards pre-game?

Isobe: “To do this, you need to understand the essence of the adidas brand. Adidas is a performance brand for athletes. All products are developed with that as a starting point. When we thought about what new things we could do for athletes, we picked up on the importance of the mindset of the athlete, and from that discussion the idea of a product to help them focus on the game was born. That is what ADIDAS Z.N.E. is all about.”

We hear that business has been very strong since the launch of ———9. Can you tell us about your brand strategy and the business positioning of “Z.N.E.”?

Isobe: “In terms of business, we are aiming to create a new business pillar after jerseys. Our brand strategy is also focused almost entirely on digital activation, rather than the old old media-centered activation. In particular, we focused on posting content on social networking sites. It worked, and we had a very large number of customers who said they came to buy our products because they saw us on social networking sites.”

———The use of social networking services such as Instagram is becoming established in the apparel industry, and this is an ideal success story.

Isobe: “To be honest, we were concerned about the timing of the launch in the first half of September, when the heat wave is still continuing, and the short sales period of this product for the fall and winter season, but as if to dispel our concerns, sales have been very strong and we have continued to achieve our goals. Also, the response on the sales floor has been very positive.”

Z.N.E. TRAVEL HOODIE” based on the concept of athletes moving

Athletes are very mobile on a daily basis. Relaxation wear based on the concept of relieving stress during this time will be added to the “Z.N.E.” lineup as a new lineup. The products are designed for scenes such as traveling from a hotel/home to a match venue.

Functional patterned sleeves with raglan switching to increase ease of movement.

Like the regular “Z.N.E. HOODIE,” the hood is large enough to be worn while wearing over-the-head headphones. Original functional material is used on the inside of the hood to increase warmth and comfort. The bias seam around the body creates a visual effect that makes the wearer look slimmer. The stylish design features a switch in the body part to cover the unfussyness of the raglan.

A number of pockets, including a double pocket on the right front, allow you to store everything you need in this hoodie and move around empty-handed. The hidden pocket boasts enough capacity to hold all of your credit cards, passport, etc.

For product inquiries ( adidas Group Customer Service TEL: 0570-033-033 )

The ” Batch of Sport ” logo is only awarded to performance items. The “Z.N.E.” is proof that it is a legitimate performance line from adidas.

What is the Athletics category led by Mr. Isobe?

Mr. Isobe joined the company in 2001 as a new graduate and worked in sales for seven years before being assigned to the Sport Style Division. He has been in charge of athletics for the past two years. Originally, there was a training category, which was subdivided into two categories, athletics and training, last year. This is due to the penetration and diversification of sports styles in recent years. While athleisure, as typified by athletes, is expanding, more and more people, both men and women, are looking for more serious workouts, as symbolized by the trendy term “girls with abs. In response to this market demand, product development based on more detailed scenarios has become a necessity. Mr. Isobe explains the athletics category as follows. The newly created athletics category is based on the concept of developing clothing that will help athletes relax and enhance their concentration during the process leading up to a game, such as the time between taking the pitch and the locker room. The concept of clothing developed not for athleisure, but solely to enhance the performance of athletes, is important. This is part of the adidas identity. In recent years, adidas has become very popular in the fashion context, but that is a result of the pursuit of functional beauty, including appearance, for athletes,” says Isobe.

Returning to its roots as a brand for all athletes

Editor: “Finally, I would like to ask you what kind of brand adidas is aiming to be in the future.”

Isobe: “Today, thanks to the Olympics and the boom in workout and running, sports are no longer something special, but have taken root as a culture that everyone can relate to. Against the backdrop of these times, adidas will continue to evolve without wavering from its origins as a performance brand for athletes. To this end, I would like to create concepts and places for athletes to improve through our various products and customer contacts.”