adidas Originals: The year of the Superstar

This case study details a campaign from adidas, the German sportswear brand, to make their 45 year-old original shoe into the superstar of 2015 by putting a new angle on celebrity culture.

adidas Originals: The year of the Superstar

Agency: Johannes Leonardo

Objectives

This is the story of how a brand turned a 45-year old shoe into the Superstar of 2015.

Adidas created Originals as a sub-brand dedicated to streetwear.

In 2014, its #1 icon was a chunky, dusty-looking 45 year-old, whose star had faded.

An Icon in Decline

The Superstar Shoe was widely available, but not widely sold. There hadn't been any news on Superstar since its 35th anniversary, 10 years before and interest was waning. Ignored by a new generation, it had lost its place in streetwear culture.

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