Did you know that FIFA World Cup 2018 in Russia is played with a smarter football that ever before? adidas Telstar 18 – the FIFA World Cup 2018 official match ball – is the first innovative football, which steps in IoT era with NFC technology. Together with the new panel structure, the NFC technology will take soccer to a new level and offers the consumers and players totally new digital experience.
Innovative Telstar 18 includes an NFC tag, which enables consumer’s interaction with a smartphone. The interaction is build up with a tap of a mobile device against the NFC touch point on the ball. Each ball generates a unique identifier, which allows the user to connect to exclusive, personalized content and information based on location. NFC technology enables new consumer experiences and solutions, which strengthen brand engagement and loyalty. It connects offline products to digital world and brings more value to products. NFC tags can also be used in applications for product authentication and brand protection.
NFC technology is coming more common in sports gear and offer brands a competitive advantage, which enables connecting a single product to digital community and experiences. Smart products become a network of digital touch-points, which can turn consumers into fans. Using smart technology, brands can engage their clients and take the consumer experiences to a new level.
The first and iconic adidas FIFA World Cup match ball, Telstar, was named according to its position as a “Star of television”. It was a first match ball decorated with black panels, which was designed to stand out on black and white TV. Telstar, which was designed for 1970 tournament in Mexico, changed soccer design forever.
In the video, Roland Rommler, Category Director Soccer Hardware, will tell what an exciting challenge developing a new Telstar 18 was to adidas.
Interested in finding out how to enhance your business with NFC technology? Contact CEO Jussi-Pekka Koskinen +358 10 841 0339 or jp.koskinen(at)toptunniste.fi.
