Adidas launches global media review, putting $512m account in play

More than half a billion dollars in annual media spend is in play after Adidas AG opened a global pitch process for its media account, the industry title Campaign UK reported on April 15. The review puts the mandate held by EssenceMediacom since 2018 under competitive scrutiny – and arrives at a moment when the Herzogenaurach-based sportswear manufacturer has accelerated its marketing investment to its highest-ever level.

Seven years, one agency – and now an open pitch

EssenceMediacom, the WPP-owned media agency formed through the 2023 merger of Essence and Mediacom, has held the Adidas global media mandate for seven years. The account was originally awarded to Mediacom in 2018 as part of a broader consolidation that also brought the Reebok brand under the same agency roof. Media analytics firm COMvergence puts the value of the account at $512 million (€470 million) in 2025, with the UK portion representing $26 million of that total.

EssenceMediacom’s work for Adidas has included media planning and buying for the “You Got This” multi-year brand platform and associated campaign activations across markets.

A mandate with deep roots

Before Mediacom’s appointment, Carat – part of the Dentsu network – held the Adidas global media business for close to two decades, covering central markets including the US and the UK. Starcom (Publicis Groupe) also handled regional buying responsibilities in some markets, including the Middle East, during that period. When Mediacom took over in 2018, industry reporting at the time estimated the combined Adidas-Reebok media volume at around $300 million – a figure that has since grown substantially as Adidas rebuilt commercial momentum following its termination of the Yeezy collaboration in late 2022 and subsequent recovery.

Spending accelerates as the review opens

Adidas has publicly stated that its global marketing spend rose 8 percent in 2025 to over €3 billion, up from approximately €2.8 billion the prior year. Alongside “You Got This,” the brand has run “The Original,” a campaign focused on its Originals lifestyle portfolio, and extended or signed new sponsorship agreements with sports organizations and athletes in both Europe and the US. A review launched at precisely this moment – when spend is scaling and brand momentum is returning – suggests a strategic rather than purely procedural trigger, though no official rationale has been disclosed.