Reebok has announced it is to move away from the lifestyle focus it became known for – 2005 saw the most controversial ads coming from the leading sports brand. It’s new owner, Adidas, have pointed Reebok’s strategy back towards the athletic market which is apparently where Reebok started.

PSFK: Reebok Drops Hip Hop Like it’s Hot

Reebok has announced that it is moving away from the lifestyle focus that has seen some of 2005’s most controversial ads. It’s new owner, Adidas, have pointed Reebok’s strategy back towards the athletic market which is apparently where Reebok started.

Reebok President & CEO, Paul Harrington, stated:

"We’ve been a little bit too lifestyle-focused maybe over the past couple years, and we want to shift actually more toward the performance side of our business."

This brings an end to what some see as an unimaginative marketing strategies a major sportswear brand has had. The focus on urban culture was guilty of giving the appearance of trying far too hard for consumers attention and appeared at least two years too late to have real credibility. The campaign sought salience through celebrity and gained notoriety as its 50cent executions [no pun intended] appeared to glamorize gun culture.

Metro West Daily News