Global Game

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By the time the World Cup rolled into the U.S. in 1994, however, Nike sensed a chance to expand its global profile. "Phil [Knight] realized that to be relevant and leading in the world of sport, not just in the United States, you have to be a leading brand in the world's most popular game," says Remlinger. And of course, the company wanted to crush a stumbling Adidas--which had lost $100 million in 1992--for good. By 1997, in true Nike fashion, the company signed an iconic endorser--the Brazilian national team, fresh off its '94 World Cup victory--to a 10-year, $200 million contract. "Football is dance," says Remlinger. "And Brazil dances magnificently."

Nike also scooped up such world-class stars as Brazilians Ronaldinho and Ronaldo, British sensation Wayne Rooney and American Landon Donovan to wear the company's boots. It paid marquee European clubs--Manchester United and Arsenal in England, Juventus in Italy and FC Barcelona in Spain--to wear the Swoosh on their kits.

Although Adidas has doled out millions to be the official sponsor at each World Cup since '94, Nike crashes the gate every time. In 1994, an unmarked van pulled up to the Citrus Bowl in Orlando, Fla., before a match, recalls Jeffrey Bliss, chief marketing officer for World Cup '94. The driver dropped off about 150 free Nike caps--JUST DO IT, BRASIL, they read--which soon became one of the hottest items at the event. In France, Nike's "Tour de Foot" caravan brought free clinics to some 50,000 kids around the country, and the company set up a 70,000-sq.-ft. interactive "Nikepark" in northwest Paris. British Marketer OMD found that after the '02 World Cup in South Korea and Japan, more British consumers thought Nike was the official sponsor than thought Adidas was. "You've got to admire Nike," says Bliss, now president of Javelin Group, a sports-marketing firm in Alexandria, Va. "They're very creative, and they know what works."

Nike is keeping its ambush plans for Germany under wraps, but Adidas has already manned the ramparts. The company is building a 10,000-seat stadium near the Reichstag, Germany's parliament, in downtown Berlin to attract fans during the Cup. For a 1-euro ($1.25) entrance fee, spectators will be able to watch games on a big screen, test their skills at soccer stations and attend concerts. On the airways, Adidas scored a major coup by shutting out Nike ads on U.S. English-language broadcasts of the games. The company will also be the sole footwear sponsor on three popular soccer sites: ESPN Soccernet, Soccer on Yahoo! and FIFAWorldcup.com the official site. With the U.S. six to nine hours behind German prime time, distracted workers will flock online for the latest scores. Boasts Simon Atkins, director of marketing communications for Adidas America: "We're heading Nike off at the pass everywhere it turns."