Lithuania's biggest adidas fan?

Photo: Delfi.lt

Never heard of Sujainiu? You are not alone. But the small Lithuanian town has hit global headlines this week, thanks to the eye-catching paint job of one particular house.

Rasa SabaliauskaitÄ— and her friend Justas renovated their home during the summer, adding the usual features, such as thermal insulation. The outside? That was a littler more unusual. Rather than paint their walls a particular colour, the duo decided to give it a far more sportier look... by painting a giant Adidas logo on the side wall.

Is it a clever sponsorship deal from the retro brand? It would certainly not be the first time that properties have been turned into billboards for companies.

In 2012, a California resident did exactly that, applying for a scheme with advertising company Brainiacs from Mars to have his monthly mortgage fee paid in exchange for adopting the firm's colours and displaying their logo above his front door.

In Spain, the Andalucian village of Júzcar agreed to have its traditionally white houses painted blue to celebrate the premiere of Sony's new Smurfs movie. After the ambitious paint job was completed, the residents decided to keep the homes that colour, causing an influx of 125,000 tourists the following year - far higher than the 300 normally received per year.

Visitors have already begun making the trek to Sujainiu to see the Adidas house for themselves.

"We did not expect that we will have so much attention," the owners told Lithuanian website Delfi.

They admitted that if they knew there would be such a storm, they probably would not have daubed the three white stripes on the property in the first place.

So why did they did they do it? Not some corporate marketing tactic, they reveal: they just really, really like Adidas. After growing up with the sportswear brand as children, they felt the only way to display that affection was by painting it on their home. Instead of, you know, buying several pairs of trainers.

Are they the world's biggest Adidas fans? They are certainly strong contenders for Lithuania's number one followers.

"Justas admits that he wanted a logo on the other wall," reports Delfi, "but decided to focus on one."