adidas vs On

Roblox Brand Design Should Be Woven into Architecture: HOURS CCO

Maryna Semioshyna, co-founder and chief creative officer of HOURS, a studio specializing in immersive Roblox brand experiences for clients like Lancôme, adidas, and Barbie, discusses her design philosophy ahead of her role as a juror at The Drum Awards Festival. She argues that brand identity must be integrated into the architecture of virtual worlds rather than applied superficially. Semioshyna emphasizes the importance of authenticity over trend-chasing, the need for design, product, and marketing teams to collaborate from the start, and the growing significance of interactive, gameplay-driven design for reaching Gen Z and Gen Alpha. She also comments on AI's role in accelerating production while acknowledging its limitations in understanding empathy and emotional nuance, and predicts that future creative leaders will treat AI as a collaborator.

• Maryna Semioshyna is co-founder and chief creative officer of HOURS, a studio creating Roblox brand experiences for Lancôme, adidas, and Barbie.
• She is a juror for the design category at The Drum Awards Festival 2026.
• Semioshyna advocates for brand identity to be woven into virtual world architecture rather than applied as an overlay.

Runtastic Founders Launch AI Camera Fitness Coach App Zone5

Austrian startup Foxyfitness GmbH, led by Florian Gschwandtner and former Runtastic co-founders René Giretzlehner and Christian Kaar, launched Zone5, a new fitness app that uses smartphone cameras and AI to recognize exercises, count repetitions, and guide users through Zone 2 and Zone 5 training. The app is now available on the App Store and Google Play for an annual subscription of €49.99. Zone5 detects over 30 exercises, offers a 12-week adaptive training plan, and syncs with Apple Health. All processing is done on-device to protect privacy, and users can share time-lapse videos on social media. This launch follows Foxyfitness's earlier apps like '100 Push-Ups' and 'Worldkick'.

• Foxyfitness GmbH launched Zone5 app on September 10, 2026.
• Zone5 uses smartphone camera and AI to recognize over 30 exercises and count repetitions.
• The app offers Zone 2 and Zone 5 training intensities, with sessions lasting 5 to 30 minutes.

Investors Judging Adidas World Cup Spend Too Soon

Michael D’Esopo, CEO of Lippincott, argues that investors are prematurely condemning Adidas for a sharp rise in World Cup marketing spend. Adidas increased marketing investment by about £181m in the second quarter year-on-year (a 30% uplift) to capitalise on the FIFA World Cup; the move coincided with a record 19% one-day share fall despite Adidas raising its annual sales outlook and reporting roughly £1.3bn in World Cup-related sales (including 18m replica shirts, a 35% increase). D’Esopo warns that the full commercial returns from such large-scale, event-driven marketing are measurable only over the longer term and that judging campaigns solely on immediate quarterly profit risks discouraging long-term brand-building.

• Adidas increased marketing spend by approximately £181m in its second quarter versus the prior year, a ~30% year-on-year uplift.
• Adidas shares fell a record 19% amid market reaction to the higher World Cup marketing spend.
• Adidas reported about £1.3bn in World Cup-related sales, including 18 million replica shirts sold (a 35% spike).

On signs Mbappé as it preps soccer entry

Swiss sportswear brand On has officially entered the soccer market by signing French superstar Kylian Mbappé as its newest brand ambassador. Mbappé, captain of the French national team and Real Madrid striker, will collaborate with product developers to test and refine future football footwear and apparel, marking a shift from traditional endorsements. The announcement coincided with Thierry Henry's appointment as Director of Football and the expansion of Swiss national player Sydney Schertenleib's role to include product development. On plans to leverage its LightSpray technology for football products, representing its largest step beyond running. Analysts view this as a strong start but caution about challenges competing with Nike and Adidas, citing performance credibility and low margins on cleats.

• On signed Kylian Mbappé as brand ambassador for its football division; financial terms and duration were not disclosed.
• Mbappé will work with product developers to test and refine football footwear and apparel.
• Thierry Henry was appointed Director of Football, a new role at On.

On to Host Investor Day on Tuesday, September 22, 2026

On announced it will host an Investor Day on September 22, 2026. The announcement was added to the newsroom on September 8, 2026.

On launches limited sneaker honoring Federer

On, the Zurich-based sports brand, is releasing a limited edition of its 'THE ROGER Centre Court' sneaker to mark Roger Federer’s induction into the International Tennis Hall of Fame. The campaign includes a film titled 'The Boy from Basel' that traces Federer’s youth, and On will sell the 'International Tennis Hall of Fame Edition' exclusively via on.com starting August 25, 2026. The edition is globally limited to 20,000 pairs and features Ivory and Fern colors, a grass-green insole (reportedly suggested by Federer) and a gold racket emblem on the heel. The article notes Federer has been an investor and brand ambassador for On since 2019 and held a stake following On’s 2021 IPO.

• On is launching a limited special edition of the model 'THE ROGER Centre Court' to mark Roger Federer’s Hall of Fame induction.
• On will make the 'International Tennis Hall of Fame Edition' available exclusively on on.com from August 25, 2026 (per the article).
• The edition is limited worldwide to 20,000 pairs according to the company statement.