Hasta La Creative!

Recently, adidas Originals dropped a spot featuring a bunch of super star celebs insisting they weren’t superstars. Now adidas Originals brings us a choddy, in which a bunch of superstars tell us they aren’t doing what they do for applause or appraisal but just for themselves alone. Pharrell has handpicked these “superstars,” who each read a line in a manifesto in one long montage. There are some great graphic treatments which keep it visually interesting.

By the way, those stars in question are musician Pusha T, Grigoriy Dobrygin, a Russian actor/director, Yoon, a designer from Japan, VJ Mian, VJ/designer from China and Smithe, a Mexican illustrator. And of course, Pharrell.

The spot is atmospheric, dark and set to the kind of moody orchestral music that feels at home in a Jason Bourne movie. It’s quite a stark contrast between the Originals house party campaign that ran from 2008 till around 2013 or so. Those spots all featured celebrities from all walks of life, too, but they were usually hanging out with cool kids in houses and street corners. And while that campaign was all style and no substance, at least it was fun. It felt like anyone could join in the fun. And the tagline reflected that: Celebrate Originality.

Now it’s as if adidas Originals has gone from being the the center of the party who welcomes all to being this moody kid who sits in a dark corner, holding you at arm’s length, demanding you treat him with Respect™ because he is a Serious Artist™, but don’t start putting expectations on him because he does what he wants, and whatever you do, don’t ever call him a Superstar.™ That’s more like Selfhate Originality.