In 2023, adidas Originals was beginning to build momentum; but with the 50th anniversary of hip-hop and many more culturally significant events in play, it was time for the brand to reset in a big way.

So we set out to ignite the Trefoil in culture not with a new product, but one of its most classic—the Superstar—to present the story of how adidas Originals was taken up by the worlds of sport, and taken further by culture.

As younger consumers were beginning to look to brands with substance over commercial hype, adidas Originals was uniquely poised to reintroduce itself to this new consumer—tracing the brand’s influence and adoption throughout eras, countries, cultures, and subcultures.

With a mission to engage this consumer, to build even more heat into the brand, and turn eyes to our most iconic products, we set out to show the world what makes adidas Originals, original.

Authenticity was crucial to bringing the Superstar film to life, with every chapter of the story staying as true to the era as possible.

Different cameras, from Bolex to Super 8 to Alexa captured the different times, while staying authentic to them.

Filmout techniques for 16mm and 35mm and a tape-out technique for 8mm set the genuine look and feel for each time period.

Vintage apparel was sourced from adidas’ Archives to clothe our worlds, before the current collection took us into the present.

Period-correct makeup, hair, set dressing, and more, were crucial in creating worlds that didn’t feel so much created as curated.

To date the campaign has earned:

1.6 billion video views

32 million engagement

Introduced the highest performing and most watched content for @adidasoriginals of all time.

Samba became Shoe of the Year for 2023— adidas Originals’ first win since 2016.

Proving that originality only happens when you stop chasing it.