- Produced by SoccerBible, and Directed by Keane Pearce Shaw, the documentary charts the incredible rise and enduring legacy of the adidas Predator football boot, interrogating its impact on football and wider culture since 1994
- The film features insights, anecdotes and contributions from some of the biggest names to ever wear the boot, including Zinedine Zidane, David Beckham, Jude Bellingham, Aitana Bonmatí, Alessia Russo and Trent Alexander-Arnold
- The full documentary launches on Wednesday 11th December and will be available to watch on @adidasfootball YouTube, with the official trailer available to view now on @adidasfootball social channels.
In the 30th year of football’s most loved franchise, adidas announces the release of ‘Under The Tongue’ – a feature-length documentary exploring the seismic impact the boot franchise has had on the beautiful game, on and off the pitch. Officially premiering on December 5th, today sees the release of the official trailer.
Produced in collaboration with SoccerBible, the hour-long documentary features the era-defining footballers that made Predator so iconic in its early years – including David Beckham, Zinedine Zidane, and Eniola Aluko – as well as current stars such as Jude Bellingham, Alessia Russo, Aitana Bonmatí and Trent Alexander-Arnold, who reflect on early memories and what it means to be part of the Predator family.
‘Under The Tongue’ examines how a unique blend of industry-leading innovation, culture-defining design, unrivalled star power and timing all combined to create a boot that would fundamentally change the trajectory of the football boot industry and have a transformative impact on adidas as a business.
Transporting viewers back to the very origins of Predator, Craig Johnston – the man behind the initial idea of using rubber to create the now iconic Predator teeth on the boot’s upper – recounts the journey from his initial brainwave while coaching children’s football in Australia, through to finally seeing the boots on the feet of the world’s best players in 1994, before exploring the silhouette’s undeniable impact in the following 30 years.
The documentary also sees senior adidas executives, design team members and notable fans – including singer-songwriter and football fanatic Louis Tomlinson – recall their own experiences of Predator’s emergence.
Nick Craggs, adidas Global Football General Manager said: “Predator changed the game. We know what it means to us all at adidas but as we come to the end of its 30th anniversary we felt it was fitting to hear from those that played such a crucial role in cementing its place in football culture. It has helped push the boundaries of innovation on the field of play and inspire millions off it – we now take it into the future and hopefully another 30 years of iconic moments with the world’s best players.”
Pete Martin, Creative Director at SoccerBible said: “The Predator is a boot with such a profound legacy that it was a real honor to have crafted ‘Under The Tongue’ alongside Keane Pearce Shaw. A boot with such personality too, not only does it mean so much to the culture of the game but it has been an unrivaled yet consistent giver of glory. There are few products on the planet that can, have or ever will, evoke such memories and feeling than that of the Predator. It’s almost immortal. That’s what we have tried to capture with this film – that powerful infatuation – a charming icon with bite, flair and beauty.”
The 60 second trailer can be viewed now, across @adidasfootball social channels, while ‘Under The Tongue’ premieres on December 11th, with the documentary available to view from 9PM CET on the adidas football YouTube channel.
The documentary follows on from the recent launch of the latest Predator model. Crafted for goals, the design evokes the franchise’s rich heritage as it recreates iconic champagne colourways of the past, while introducing tech innovations that pave the way for the future of the boot in 2025. Available now from www.adidas.co.za/soccer-shoes.
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About adidas
adidas is a global leader in the sporting goods industry. Headquartered in Herzogenaurach/Germany, the company employs more than 59,000 people across the globe and generated sales of € 21.4 billion in 2023.
For more information, please visit www.adidas-Group.com.
About adidas in Football
adidas is the global leader in football. It is the official supplier of the most important football tournaments in the world, such as the FIFA World Cup™, the FIFA Women’s World CupTM, the UEFA European Football ChampionshipTM, the UEFA Champions LeagueTM & the UEFA Women’s Champions LeagueTM. adidas also sponsors some of the world’s top clubs including Real Madrid, Manchester United, Arsenal, FC Bayern Munich & Juventus. adidas is also partner to some of the best athletes in the game including Leo Messi, Jude Bellingham, Aitana Bonmati, Mohamed Salah, Pedri, Lamine Yamal, Florian Wirtz, Alessia Russo, Paulo Dybala, Lena Oberdorf, Gabriel Jesus, Roberto Firmino, Joao Felix, Serge Gnabry, Manuel Neuer, Vivianne Miedema, Mary Fowler, and Wendie Renard.
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