Johannes Leonardo launched its first Original is never finished ad for Adidas in January last year. The ad brought together two music artists from different eras, Snoop Dogg and Frank Sinatra – and a cast of other creators – to inspire the creators of today and tomorrow.
“Everything we do for Adidas Originals is a work in progress, as true creativity is never finished,” stated Alegra O’Hare, vice president of global communications for the Originals and Core brands at the time.
“We are constantly challenging ourselves and breaking down the boundaries that limit imagination; we hope to inspire all creators to do the same.”
The work won the Grand Prix in the Music category of the Entertainment Lions in Cannes and kicked off a campaign that continued all year.
Then there was the ad that included Kendall Jenner:
Johannes Leonardo: Kendall Jenner causes controversy for Adidas
New year. New mood. The most recent Original is never finished ad still features a medley of music celebrities but the ad’s message is the star. The film is “looped” – each scene blends into the next, and first scene mirrors the last to represent the cyclical nature of creativity.
https://youtu.be/avLd9F2gBH8
It was shot in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Madrid and Shanghai, and features Dua Lipa, Miles Silvas, Playboy Carti, A$AP Ferg, Marcelo Vieira, Adrianne Ho, Nick Young, Kaytranada and Florencia Galarza, its scenes underscored by a remix of Inaya Day’s Keep Pushin provides the soundtrack.
Credits:
Agency: Johannes Leonardo
Chief creative officers: Jan Jacobs & Leo Premutico
Creative director & founding partner: Ferdinando Verderi
Creative directors: Wesley Phelan & Matthew Edwards
Senior copywriter: Jeph Burton
Senior art director: Hunter Hampton
Head of integrated production: Dana May
Executive producer: Maria Perez
Senior producers: Tina Diep & Craig Keppler
Associate producer: Alexandra Olivo
Producers: Jay Jenkins & Joey Mok
Junior producer: Maddie Tiedrich
Account management: Sam McCallum, Dominique Dalton, Gulru Soylu, Katherine Gutierrez & Adriana Mariella
Strategists: Mark Aronson, Megan Piro, Johnny Roelofs & Miné Cakmak
Director of business affairs: Marta Stajek
Senior business affairs manager: Ann Marie Turbitt
Production company: Iconoclast
Director: Manu Cossu
Director of photography (Los Angeles): Mattias Rudh
Director of photography (Shanghai, Madrid, San Francisco): Alex Barber
Executive producer: Valerie Romer
Producer: Suza Horvat
Social Agency: ANNEX88
PR Agency: PR Consulting
Client: Adidas
General Manager: Torben Schumacher
Global Vice President of Brand Communications: Alegra O’Hare
Global Senior Director of Communications & Brand Marketing: Jenny Pham
Global Director of Social Media & Public Relations: Silvia Calligher
Senior Director, Global Brand Marketing Operations & Creative Shoot Production: John van Tuyll
Senior Shoot and Production Manager: Justin Townsend
