The case of German precision in hip-hop culture
In 1986, Adidas broke through a wall it had built itself and has since shown from time to time how wide its presence is in any area of life, whether it be elite sports, subculture, or even the everyday needs of the „ordinary person.”.
Adidas shoes lifted into the air
It happened that the Adidas brand, and one of its most famous models, if not the most famous, which already carried the success as a self-fulfilling prophecy in its name, the Adidas Superstar faced a serious challenge. In the years following its introduction in 1970, players in college and professional leagues wore such shoes, but by the mid-'80s serious competitors emerged. By then, several brands had started launching basketball shoes featuring similar materials and better technical solutions, forcing Adidas to realize that the Superstar could no longer be the No.1 in the basketball shoe market.
At this point, the most popular hip-hop artist of the ’80s, RUN DMC, and its hit „My Adidas,” which debuted on May 29, 1986, came into the picture (the group members, namely Messrs Joseph Simmons, Darryl McDaniels, and Jam Master Jay, really loved this shoe). As mentioned in the 2005 documentary „Just for kicks,” this song was not only about the shoe but also a kind of rebellion, serving as a response to the contemporary "Felon Shoes" hit that opposed the style popularizing the wearing of sports shoes and the style that emerged in prisons, which tried to correct the youth growing up in the ghetto with such lines:
„You rob, you rape, you shoot and kill
Te ezeket a sportcipőket viseled, de elvesztetted az akaratodat
Ha egy szerencsétlen testvér börtönbe kerül
His felon sneakers can’t get him bail?”
Lyor Cohen, one of the executives at Run DMC's label, Def Jam Records, saw the business opportunity in the popularity of the message carried by „My Adidas” and invited one of Adidas's executives, Angelo Anastasio, to a Run DMC concert to see for himself how the Adidas shoe had built a cultural icon, completely independent of the multiple Grammy-winning hip-hop trio.
Coincidentally, this concert was one of the most popular performances of Run DMC's 1986 tour, held on July 19, 1986, at Madison Square Garden. Moreover, this was the concert where one of the group's frontmen took off his shoe (yes, an Adidas Superstar) and lifted it high into the air, then asked the audience to do the same. Anastasio immediately saw the business opportunity in the thousands of Adidas sports shoes lifted into the air and quickly signed a one-million-dollar exclusive contract with Run DMC.
After the Superstar sales reached half a million units, Adidas released a unique Run DMC collection and also sponsored the band's tours.
Adidas: Egyesítsd az összes eredetit
In 2013, Adidas launched a large-scale advertising campaign called „Unite All Originals,” aimed at showing what wonderful and extraordinary things can happen when we unite different cultures and passions. The campaign reached out to great figures from various parts of the world, cultures, and different passions, inviting them to combine their creativity and knowledge to create something unique and extraordinary.
The teaser video for the campaign was a 90-second track, for which they invited one of the most popular and creative DJs/producers of the time, A-trak, and director-visual artist SO-ME. The resulting hero clip quickly reached 1.5 million views. With the clip Adidas's undisguised goal was to lead fans towards a unique experience, which they named:
„The Collide”
The brilliant idea and realization of The Collide Sid Lee advertising agency is connected. They were the ones with whom Adidas signed a contract for the campaign, replacing their previous partner. As the agency's creative co-director, Jean-François Dumais, stated in an interview regarding the campaign:
„Often the best creations and ideas come from unplanned and risky situations.”
The challenge that Adidas posed to the agency was nothing less than to create a campaign during which existing and future fans and customers could leave a digital „footprint” in an original and creative way on social and mass media.
After the introductory clip, the advertising agency involved the ever-popular hip hop icon, Run DMC (this was a logical decision in light of the events of 1986 mentioned above), and then, together with them, they re-shot the campaign clip, but this time with an unexpected twist. Users were given the opportunity to use their computer's microphone while the clip was playing on „The Collide” online platform and modify it with various special effects and animations.
Through the site, they encouraged fans to create and share additional unique and creative collages on various media platforms.
As part of the campaign, of course, the agency also created a lot of additional creative content, and by publishing it with hashtags, they drew fans' attention to participate in this pioneering initiative and show their originality.
At the center of the campaign was, of course, the online platform called „The Collide,” where various artists and diverse performers combined their creativity to create unique and unexpected works.
Originality is cool, you know?
The „Unite All Originals” campaign was bigger than expected. The fans' reaction exceeded the agency's expectations. In just the first month, Adidas sales increased by 30%. People around the world talked about the campaign, sharing their unique creations on various media platforms, thus increasing the campaign's popularity.
Are you interested in the topic?
I recommend to you:
- Mr Reporter: How Run-DMC Earned Their Adidas Stripes
- Grailed: The Toe to Know: A History of the adidas Superstar
- KRISTIAN MANCHESTER: ADIDAS ORIGINALS ? Unite All Originals
- DAZED: Adidas Unite All Originals – Run DMC & A Trak
- commarts.com adidas „Unite All Originals” film
- campaignlive.co.uk : Adidas „unite all originals” by Sid Lee
- sidlee.com Unite All Originals
