Adidas: “We Gave the World an Original. You Gave Us a Thousand Back.”

Adidas returns with another addition to their ‘We Gave the World an Original. You Gave Us A Thousand Back’ campaign. Bringing together a range of trailblazers from across the creative and sporting industries - think Jenna Ortega, Jude Bellingham and Stormzy to name a few - Adidas sets out to reintroduce us to what it means to be an Original.

It’s no secret that what was once a humble sportswear label has, in 50 years, exploded into a monolith of subculture and sportswear. The recent rise of the Samba and Gazelle models have taken London by storm, and incidentally have also acquired a slew of followers in other major cities. Now, Adidas returns with the help of British musicians Sam Fender and Joy Crookes in a continued celebration of the Trefoil’s lasting impact on culture, style, youth and individuality.

Exploring the overlap between aspiration and legacy in Newcastle, North Shields-born singer-songwriter Sam Fender joins the campaign in a trademark Gazelle - symbol of authenticity and a desire to veer off the beaten track. If Fender’s poignant perspective on the brand’s impact isn’t enough, the Adidas Gazelle’s story is further told in a short film by self-taught moving image maker Will Dohm. Following a time-hopping runner, we meet pro-skate duo Mike Arnold and Miles Silvas as we artfully track our protagonist across eras, sport, and style.

Will Dohm’s work is among three short form films created for the campaign, each centered around an iconic style. For the emblematic Samba, the sportswear giant has enlisted the help of celebrated visual artist Justyna Obasi, in a film that captures and emulates both the trainer’s football origins and its recent reinvention into the mainstream. Taking us through time and space, Obasi’s film is also a reference to the culture that makes a trainer’s success - from the screams of the football pitch to the Sidibe-esque dance scenes that gave the Samba its name.

It’s an expression that is picked up in Joy Crookes’ own musing. The British-Irish-Bengladeshi musician is no stranger to the amalgamation of culture; growing up in London and born to a multicultural family, Crookes is candid about the impact that both the city and her upbringing have had on her, her craft and her aspirations. Mirroring the Samba’s cross-cultural impact, Crookes leaves on an inspiring note, ‘Being Original is just being yourself’.

As Adidas continues to explore the intersection between culture and sportswear, what is undeniable is the impact that both hold in fashion. While the music industry’s relationship to fashion is no secret, both of these industries’ willingness to adopt sportswear as markers of culture and individuality is a testament to young people’s deep desire for authenticity and originality.

Watch the “We Gave the World an Original. You Gave Us a Thousand Back’ campaign below in three short films, each dedicated to an iconic trainer. From the unmissable Shell Toe of the Superstar, to the low-profile gum sole of the Samba and by way of the soft suede upper of the Gazelle, discover a collection of timeless stories - for today and tomorrow.