Named one of Time’s 2019 “Most Influential People,” Richard Tyler Blevins, most notably know as Ninja will be the next addition to adidas’ invasive lineup of celebrity partners.
Although not confirmed and pending an announcement tomorrow, adidas looks to have reeled in a huge one. If you aren’t familiar with him, you ought to be as Ninja has become a worldwide superstar in just a short amount of time. Even celebrities like Drake and Travis Scott have teamed up with him for a game of Fortnite just because they want to play with the best in the world. The man has quietly became an American Icon just overnight.
How you might ask? Video Games. Just a couple of years ago many would argue that you couldn’t make a great life for yourself behind a mouse and computer but Ninja has proved otherwise and in a boastful way. As a streamer on Twitch, he was the most followed streamer on the platform and racked up an average of 50,000 views each week. He has traveled to festivals to play his favorite games with various artists and even just brought in 2019 at Times Square for a Fortnite New Year’s Event. The gamer from Michigan has proved to many that you can create your own path in life even if it involves making a living off of Video Games.
Not only is he a great gamer and is known for streaming, he has also capitalized on his brand and the influence he has accumulated. Already partnered with Mixer, Red Bull, and NZXT, Ninja is set to highlight Team adidas and their other partners such as Kanye West, Kylie Jenner, Pharrell and Beyonce, to name a few.
For adidas, this is completely huge. From a brand stand point, Ninja has a boat load of influence that he brings to the table. It’s not just “other” athletes like your NFL or NBA stars that are cool to kids nowadays. Rather, when you ask an 8 year old who they want to be like when they grow up, a majority of the time the answer will be Ninja. The partnership will bring in many kids and you know as a brand if kid’s love you, success comes with that. Also as children are figuring out who they are and what they like, adidas will stand among the rest. As Nike has gained many fans over with athletes wearing their products, adidas looks to do the same with a gamer and probably will have much more success with it as well. This also attaches adidas to a community that a sportswear brand has not aggressively pursued. As gaming is a new form of sport, The Brand with The Three Stripes looks to be aggressively asserting their dominance in the E-Sports world. Not to mention that this is a huge win for gamers all around the world as a big sportswear brand like adidas has recognized them as a sport and has made a big move to join the community.
Ninja also is the perfect candidate for adidas’ motto. The brand is all about making your own path and staying true to yourself and your roots and Ninja is a great example of just that. He went against the odds, dedicated himself and played his cards right and now he’s known famously around the world. Creators create regardless of the fear, blood, sweat, doubt and many other adversities they face and Ninja fits perfectly in that role. Although we do not know what the partnership will hold, the opportunities are endless and adidas will likely not go down striking out.
The announcement is set to arrive tomorrow at 3 PM/EST so stay tuned for that as we will cover the updates tomorrow when they arrive. Furthermore, JustFreshKicks will have you covered with any future updates on all Ninja x adidas news from here on out so be sure to follow us for more.
UPDATE: The announcement just went live and it is official, Ninja has joined adidas. As of right now, no new details were made to explain what the partnership is but in the press release it states, “There’s never been a better time to blur the lines between the cultures of gaming and fashion”. You can sign up here to be kept in the loop by adidas but also stay tuned to JustFreshKicks as we will be your premier source for any and all Ninja x adidas news.
Words By Irven Sykes