Final answer:
Adidas seeks to create the right type of brand image through endorsement deals, ensuring that endorsers accurately reflect the brand's values and maintain a positive reputation to bolster consumer trust and affinity.
Step-by-step explanation:
When adidas makes endorsement deals with athletes and other celebrities, the company seeks to align the endorser's personality with the brand's desired image to create the right type of brand image. The correct answer is D. Brand image. This is crucial as the brand ambassador's traits and public reputation need to reflect positively on the brand and evoke a sense of trust and affinity in consumers.
In these endorsement deals, it's not just about the immediate appeal but also about the values and ideals that the endorsers represent, which in turn should match the ethos of the brand and bolster its impression in the consumers' mind. Companies like adidas would not want to risk their brand image by associating with figures who could potentially damage their reputation or do not align with the brand values, as positive brand association is key to effective marketing strategies.