ECI's Contribution to Adidas' FIFA World Cup Jerseys
This case study describes our contributions to helping create the 2014 World Cup Champion team jerseys. ECI Elastic worked with the Adidas development team to help create what was at once the lightest jersey ever produced without sacrificing the strength needed for the jersey to perform on the battlefield of football. This is a story of initiative, cooperation, and drawing on our 50 years of expertise. We’re not saying that the elastic tapes we helped integrate into the design of Germany's jerseys were solely responsible for their championship, but perhaps we helped them perform and look better along the way.
From Concept to Creation: Initial Challenges
When we were developing the World Cup 2014 jerseys with the Adidas design and development team, the designer initially provided the concept in text form only, explaining what they wanted. Without any artwork from the designer, we had to communicate the concept to our R&D team technicians and propose three concept groups for the designer to choose from.
Importance of Elastic Tape Strength and Durability
The 2014 World Cup jersey design emphasized lightness and breathability. Previous competition events had seen players' jerseys being torn and damaged on the field, so the choice and strength of the elastic tapes were extremely important. The main design axis focused on knit elastic tapes due to their lightweight and breathable nature. However, the strength of knit elastic tapes posed a challenge we needed to overcome.
Advanced Technology and Continuous Improvement
Regarding the strength issue of the knit elastic tapes, ECI Elastic relied on our expertise in the elastic tape industry, continuously adopting high-end technology to resolve it. The nominated knit elastic tape series combined aesthetics with hand feel, lightness, and breathability. Through continuous communication and discussion with Adidas developers and designers, along with extensive testing and feedback, the durability of the knit elastic tapes on the jerseys was established and approved.
Successful Integration and Market Launch
The knit elastic tapes allowed the jerseys to be released on schedule prior to the World Cup, enabling the German team to win the championship in the 2014 World Cup, becoming the first European team in history to win the World Cup held in a South American country. These knit elastic tapes were applied not only to the German team jerseys but also to those of eight other Adidas-sponsored national teams, including Argentina, Spain, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Colombia, Nigeria, and Bosnia and Herzegovina. When the jerseys launched in the market, they were hailed as the lightest soccer jerseys in the world. The knit elastic tapes ECI developed were applied to sleeve cuffs, sleeve inserts, arm inserts, and side tapes.
Let’s Work on Your Next Jersey Project
If you’re working on a similar project and need innovative solutions for elastic tapes, let’s collaborate. With our extensive experience and advanced technology, we can help bring your vision to life while ensuring top-notch performance and durability. Contact us today to discuss how we can contribute to your next big project.
Reference:
https://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/soccer-dirty-tackle/adidas-launch-2014-world-cup-kits-germany-japan-191352110--sow.html
https://kenlu.net/2014/04/adidas-worldcup-soccer-jersery-official-news/
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