Adidas poaches global brand chief from Paris-based TBWA agency

Sportswear giant Adidas has appointed Nicholas Baddour as head of global brand advertising, following the departure of Neil Simpson.

Baddour joins from Paris-based agency BDDP & Fils – a French subsidiary of Adidas’s global advertising agency TBWA – where he was an associate partner. He takes up his new position on October 1, reporting to head of global marketing Erich Stamminger.

Simpson, who claims to be leaving for personal reasons, is believed to be returning to the UK to take up a senior marketing position. Simpson has been with Adidas since 1997 and oversaw last year’s advertising review, which resulted in Leagas Delaney being taken off the &£70m account. He retained TBWA Worldwide and added Amsterdam-based agency 180 to the roster. (MW January 4).

Simpson is returning to the UK after almost eight years abroad. He spent two years at Coca-Cola in the US and has been based in Amsterdam with Adidas for almost six years.

Adidas recently announced plans to launch a designer footwear and clothing range called Sports Style. The company expects the range to account for five per cent of total sales over the next five to ten years.