Promo Apparel Lessons From Adidas’ High-Quality ‘The Waterboy’ Anniversary Collection

Hannah Abrams

We are big fans of retro sports promotions, and this year is majorly fueling our obsession. Over the summer, the Anaheim Ducks unveiled their throwback “Mighty Ducks”-inspired jerseys, and we thought they were incredible. Now it looks like “The Waterboy,” the 1998 Adam Sandler football flick, is getting the merchandise treatment, and we are in full support.

According to UPROXX, Adidas is celebrating the 20th anniversary of the film with a merchandise line. The apparel retailer is teaming up with University Laboratory High, Baton Rouge, La., to outfit the school’s football team in Bobby Boucher (Sandler’s character) South Central Louisiana State University Mud Dogs jerseys.

Adidas even brought Disney into the mix to double check that every detail of these jerseys was an authentic match to the movie version. The jerseys are orange and royal blue with white neckline striping and sleeves. They also feature a Bourbon Bowl patch commemorating the fictional contest from the movie. The school will wear the jerseys against Mentorship Academy on Friday.

“The Waterboy” throwback line also features a SCLSU hat and coach’s jacket like the ones donned by Henry Winkler’s Coach Klein character. In addition, there is a Mud Dogs water bottle with a Bobby Boucher quote.

Of course, there are some fun and useful lessons we can extend to the promo world:

1. Retro always wins

We’ve said this before, but people love throwbacks and retro-inspired apparel. We learned this back when “Stranger Things” debuted and everyone lost their minds over the show’s nostalgia factor.

2. It pays to have fun

Is “The Waterboy” the greatest sports movie ever? No. (That’s a tie between “Space Jam” and “Angels in the Outfield,” obviously.) But it’s a fun film whose fans fit right into the target demographic: ’90s kids who now have major purchasing power as adults. For your apparel promotions, there’s no harm in implementing some unconventional ideas and having a little fun.

3. Add some flair

We love that Adidas hit every detail for these jerseys, but we also appreciate the added Bourbon Bowl 50th anniversary patch. It’s a classy looking embellishment, and it makes the uniforms even more special.

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