Inside The adidas 'Messi Gallery' Barcelona
Our recent trip to Barcelona took us to the all new 'Messi Gallery' - a new pop-up exhibition set up by adidas in Barcelona dedicated to the world s best footballer, Leo Messi. Messi himself was present to launch the gallery in central Barcelona this past week, which will be open to the public for one month.
It marks the latest stage in the adidas Team Messi campaign, which recognises the skill, style and achievement of Messi. It sees the launch of the first signature adizero f50 Messi boot and the creation of Messi s own signature range by adidas.
It is a rare accolade, with Messi joining a very small group of iconic adidas athletes to have ever received this honour. The best football player in the world is now coupled with his own branding portfolio of products.
The gallery features a host of iconic memorabilia and exhibits representing Leo Messi s entire career, including his four successive FIFA Ballon d Or trophies from 2009 to 2012. Kit and official match balls from landmark games and tournaments are also displayed.
The unique space includes the balls from the 2008 Summer Olympics, 2005 FIFA U-20 World Cup and UEFA Champions League finals in 2009 and 2011, all competitions Messi won with Argentina and Barcelona.
The gallery houses historical adidas boots which Messi has worn throughout his career. This includes the adizero f50 boot worn when Messi scored twice against Real Betis to break Gerd Muller s 1972 record of 85 goals in a calendar year and the adidas TUNiT boot from the 2009 UEFA Champions League Final in Rome, which Messi famously kissed upon scoring.
Speaking at the launch, Messi said; I feel honoured to be here at the launch of this gallery featuring so many memories of my career so far. It is amazing to see everything brought together and I hope my fans come and enjoy the exhibition. I want to thank the fans for their support and adidas for helping me perform to my highest level.
Other exhibits look at the adidas campaigns that Messi has previously starred in and launched. These include the 2011 launch of miCoach f50, the world s first football boot with a brain , the 2012 miadidas campaign where fans of Leo Messi were given the unique opportunity to design a pair of adidas football boots for him to wear, as well as the latest 2013 launch of Team Messi and the Messi Collection range of boots and apparel.
Last week saw the launch of Team Messi, marked by the release of an iconic video and Messi Mantra , capturing the guiding philosophy of how Messi plays football. It highlights the attributes, behaviour and values that make Leo the most admired and inspiring footballer in the world.
Let us know what you think! You can also join Team Messi at facebook.com/teammessi or join the conversation on Twitter @TeamMessi.
