Impossible Is Nothing

To date, Impossible is Nothing is simply the most inspiring quote I have ever come across.

I  remember the Adidas poster outside a showroom, opposite my junior college, that showed the quote in large bold letters. I remember waiting outside my college for the bus, and trying to memorize the entire piece.

It said: Impossible is just a big word thrown around by small men who find it easier to live in the world they’ve been given than to explore the power they have to change it. Impossible is not a fact. It’s an opinion. Impossible is not a declaration. It’s a dare. Impossible is potential. Impossible is temporary. Impossible is nothing.

Sports equipment and apparel maker Adidas has always been known for it’s innovative and inspiring advertising ideas, but this one just goes over the top for me. The slogan was launchead along with a video series that featured around 40 athletes from around the world.

In each video, a famous sports personality talks about his achievement, and the difficulties he / they had to face with to attain their goals, no matter how impossible they seemed to others. The list of sportsmen includes Argentina footballer Lionel Messi who talks about his early height impediment; Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar who tells us about his training methods; English footballer David Beckham, who talks about what he went through after being red carded during a World Cup match. Other prominent spokesmen include NBA star Gilbert Arenas, the New Zealand rugby team, etc.

Ads such as these certainly stir the audience

The Impossible is Nothing series also includes two videos about a couple of young street footballers, who pick international stars such as Gerrard, Lampard, Kahn, Zidane, Cisse, Platini, Kaka, Beckenbauer, etc. and play in a small small ground in a Spanish locality.

Campaigns such as this one certainly have a profound effect on the viewing audience, and convince youngsters that sports is not all about the sweat, stink and blood, but can also be about style, team spirit and skills.