Considering the iconic images of reggae monarch Bob Marley on a football field running around in his trusty Copa Mundials, as well as recent winks from adidas-sponsored European clubs Ajax and Arsenal, it seemed only a matter of time before the German sports goods giant converted its flirtations with Jamaica’s football and culture into a meaningful arrangement.

Adidas confirmed its partnership with the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) in August and recently launched the highly anticipated line of products, including home and away kits, training gear, as well as pre-match wear, all designed by British luxury designer Grace Wales Bonner.

This is not the first time the brand is partnering with adidas for a product line involving Jamaica, as the designer’s Lovers Rock collection took inspiration from Marley’s sportswear style, while another major adidas collaborator, Gary Aspden, who curated the 2017 Spezial collection, also drew inspiration from the island’s rich culture, in recent examples of the Three Stripes’ love affair with the island.

Rupert Campbell, the man responsible for adidas’ North American operations, would not disclose the details of the deal but made it clear that the company is committed to making a real mark where the development of Jamaican football is concerned. And he believes the partnership with the JFF will leave a strong legacy for the sport on the island.

“I think it’s exciting. The Jamaican Football Federation could not have partnered with a better brand because of the heritage of adidas in Jamaica, what it means to the consumer, and what it means to the people,” Campbell told the Jamaica Observer during a wide-ranging interview.

Campbell, whose parents were born in Jamaica, bears a strong personal interest in the execution of the agreement and pointed to grass-roots development, infrastructural and resource support for the national programme, the global positioning of Jamaica’s footballing brand, and engagement and opportunity creation as the main focus areas going into the multi-year deal.

“We’ve got to make sure that we make the deal work at all levels: from a culture perspective, from an athlete perspective, and from a grassroots perspective as well,” said Campbell.

“This is an important partnership for us and we take a lot of pride and responsibility in partnering with the federation because we know that there’s a lot of passion, we know that there’s a lot of skill, and we know that there’s a lot of integrity there.

“We’re proud; we really are here to support the teams — the Reggae Boyz, and also the Reggae Girlz — because we know that equipping athletes with the best costume, to be able to go out onto the pitch and play, is super-important and we want to work closely with the JFF and with other organisations to create as many opportunities as we can to play football across Jamaica, and to ensure that in Jamaica, the game of football has got the brightest future ever,” he added.

The Reggae Boyz’s 1998 World Cup qualification and the strong cultural capital, the recent successes of Ajax’s Bob Marley-inspired away kit, Arsenal’s celebratory Jamaican culture pre-match gear, as well as the exploits of the Reggae Girlz in securing back-to-back qualifications to the FIFA Women’s World Cup, were all factors that played heavily in adidas’s decision to support the programme.

“I have to honestly say from the bottom of my heart, it fills me with a lot of emotion that this partnership has come to bear because if I think about as a child growing up, I think back to the iconic images of Bob Marley playing in adidas boots and wearing adidas shirts … all of that to be together says that there are iconic images of adidas and Jamaican football, not just from a football perspective, but from an entertainment perspective as well,” said Campbell.

“Ajax and the kit that we did with Arsenal were also good, and they were very well-received. But it’s important to understand that every kit has got its own unique design. The collection for the Jamaican kit has got its own distinct story that can be told. What we’re trying to do here with the Jamaican kit is to create a real representation of Jamaica, the heritage and the culture.”

That heritage and culture will be front and centre in adidas’s global marketing efforts around the Reggae Boyz/Reggae Girlz brand.

“We have a history of partnering with federations and countries that have got a deep heritage. Jamaica is intrinsically linked to football and it has incredibly talented people in all forms of sport. So it was important for us to work with a designer on the kit that authentically, we believe, represents [Jamaica]. That’s why we worked with a designer called Wales Bonner who is a designer from Jamaican parentage, and you know the results,” Campbell stated.

“Authenticity is the key from the design of the jersey to how it’s worn. If you look at how the Ajax jersey was presented, if you look at how the Arsenal jersey was done, authenticity has to be the key and we have to stay close to the culture of the country. Ultimately, I believe that the strength and power of what we do together – this is not just an adidas thing alone — the strength and power of what we build together will leave a legacy and that’s what we want to do, it’s what we really want to do,” Campbell stated.

He said adidas and JFF have been working together on shaping development initiatives alongside various stakeholders, and also pointed out that they are looking to maximise on the Reggae Girlz’s appearance at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup this summer with a number of special engagements.

Campbell added that the company is determined to do all it can to help Jamaica’s efforts to return to the FIFA Men’s World Cup and provide the biggest platform for the island’s talent.

“I’m a big football person and I’ve seen throughout the years what’s happened with Walter Boyd, what’s happened [with Leon Bailey], so I think that the play and the ability to contribute from a natural physicality and an understanding of the game is there already; the ground rules are already there. I think for us, what we’ve got to do is work with the JFF and understand what are the areas of development that we can look at together to be able to ensure that where people have talent, they are pushed and where people are wanting to go further, they get equipped to have the skills to go further,” he said.

“Also making sure that the elite level — the Reggae Boyz and Reggae Girlz have got the facilities and also the resources available to be able to learn, become better and perform at a higher level. That’s what we want. We want to get to a place where the Reggae Boyz are back in the World Cup. That’s what we want to get to ultimately,” Campbell said.