Simon Childs


15 May 2013

Newcastle University ♥ Adidas

Newcastle University has made a deal with Adidas. The sportswear giant is giving the Students’ Union £30,000 and promising them visits from celebrity athletes. In return, Adidas will be the union’s preferred sportswear provider, with advertising space in the student newspaper and the union building, where it may also get to have a shop. The suggestion of an Adidas-sponsored degree was turned down over concerns for the university’s reputation, but the corporation will give scholarships to two students. Students have already received spam on their academic email addresses from adidas@ncl.ac.uk, and Adidas will be able to recruit ‘brand ambassadors’ to ‘spread the word’ about their products on campus.

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