When considering this task I was drawn to the Adidas ‘Impossible is Nothing’ campaign in (2004). At the time, in my early 20s I was reflecting on a failed dream at following a path into professional football. This was a real crossroads in my life as I somehow had to reassess my life and consider alternative directions, having to reinvent myself, find new ambitions and a new purpose. Many of my peers seemed to be content with their lives while some were heading into precarious directions and I often found myself associating with people who scared me a little. I had gone from the playing football in academies and surrounded by inspiration to playing non league and amateur football where there were many dangerous influences. At this time I remember a the Adidas campaign which focussed on the experiences of high profile football players such as Beckham and Messi. I felt the reflective accounts given in this cross platform campaign were memorable especially the content revolving around Beckham who was made a national hate figure after the 1998 world cup. See image below.

Moving on to present day and considering how society has changed in addition to the influence of social media. I was saddened by the suicide of Caroline Flack and recently the suicide of a lifelong friend that I played football with around this era. Also, with the emphasis on ‘talking’ therapy’ currently strong in the media I recalled this Adidas campaign. Unsure whether it had an effect at the time, being a 38 year old male l now recollect this campaign and feel that it was a very progressive idea.