Adidas Originals with Mark Aronson of Johannes Leonardo, NY
This is a conversation about the three phases of the Strikethrough campaign. Learn how the Adidas sub-brand, Originals, reconnected with street culture through a series of themes over a three-year period that reflected the struggles of the creative class in modern-day culture. All of this leading to the amazing "Originals" campaign and the question of what it means to be an original. Also listen later to our episodes on Nike and New Balance.
Referenced work:
Phase One: Super Star
The first year’s theme was a challenge to the convention of Stardom and what it meant to be a Superstar, showing that the world doesn’t decide if you’re a superstar, you do. See film and display ads below.
Phase Two: Future
Year two’s theme was about challenging the notion of a predetermined future. This was reflecting a new generation’s attempt to define its own, not accepting the inevitability of the one left by others. It characterizes the uncertainty and rampant nationalism that pervaded much of American and European media culture at that time. See film and display ads below.
Phase Three: Originals
Year three’s theme was about challenging the notion of what it means to be original.
While mainstream thinking defined originality by who has done it first, creators defined it not by where you take it from, but where you take it to. In other words, if you change something enough, it becomes an original. That’s the idea behind this final phase. See film and display ads below.
