Advert
25 Years of Predator (2019): The Beckham and Zidane Film
Beckham and Zidane hand out their own boots, and kick off the Predator remake boom.
In March 2019, adidas marked 25 years of the Predator by giving two of its heroes a job: deciding who deserved their boots. David Beckham and Zinedine Zidane star in the “25 Years of Predator” film, judging players’ skills on and off the pitch to work out who was worthy of receiving the commemorative packs.
The boots were the real news. adidas launched the 25 Years of Predator pack on 5 March 2019, with the film following a day later. It is the cleanest example of the Predator doing what it does best: using its own history as the advert.
The Film
The film was made by the agency Iris. Campaign credits Jon Wedlake and Matt Carter as its creators and Dan Henshaw, through Pops Productions, as director. It begins with Beckham and Zidane on a sofa with their feet up, each in his own archive boots, surrounded by piles of boots while they watch clips of players.
adidas shared it on its football and brand channels and on the two players’ own social accounts. It also folded fan-made footage into the highlight reel of players being judged.
Watch the advert
The Boots
Each player received an archive pack built around a boot from his career.
- Zidane: a gold recreation of the 1998 Predator Accelerator, celebrating the year he won the World Cup and the Ballon d’Or. It came with four sets of laces.
- Beckham: a new version of the 2001 Predator Precision he wore for his free kick against Greece, in white, silver and red, with two sets of laces.
Both packs came as an on-pitch boot and a trainer. They also included clothing inspired by Real Madrid’s 2003/04 kit, the season both men played there together.
adidas also launched a co-created Predator 19+, a gold boot drawing mainly on the 1998 Accelerator.
The Start of the Remake Boom
The pack was not the first Predator remake, but it was a landmark. SoccerBible’s review of Predator re-releases noted that the 2019 pair took the total of Predator remakes into double figures. If you collect them, our remakes versus originals guide shows how to tell a recreation from an original.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the “25 Years of Predator” advert?
It is a March 2019 adidas film in which David Beckham and Zinedine Zidane judge who deserves their archive Predator boots. It launched the 25 Years of Predator pack.
Who made the 25 Years of Predator film?
The agency Iris made it. Campaign credits Jon Wedlake and Matt Carter as its creators, and Dan Henshaw as director through Pops Productions.
What boots were in the 25 Years of Predator pack?
A gold recreation of Zidane’s 1998 Predator Accelerator, a white recreation of Beckham’s 2001 Predator Precision and a co-created Predator 19+, plus trainers and clothing.
When did the 25 Years of Predator pack come out?
adidas launched it on 5 March 2019.
Read more: Predator Accelerator · Predator Precision · David Beckham