Adidas Originals is changing course.
For its spring campaign, the popular heritage-based sub-label is not just focusing on the heritage of its core products but is seeking to inspire fans to embrace their originality as well.
The global campaign, appropriately titled “The Original,” focuses on one track jacket and three footwear silhouettes that have helped define the sports brand: the Firebird, Superstar II, Handball Spezial and Samba OG.
“It’s a new moment to reset the direction and tone of Adidas Originals,” said Annie Barrett, vice president of marketing for the division. “We’re on a journey to communicate what Adidas Originals stands for.” She said the collection is still rooted in sport but has been adopted by culture and this is the message being communicated with the new campaign.
The company has tapped director Thibaut Grevet, whose work encompasses sport, music and fashion, to create a film set to “Only You (And You Alone)” by The Platters, that blends music and fashion in an upbeat message.
The campaign features heritage apparel and footwear.
Courtesy of Adidas
Barrett said Grevet’s background made him the ideal choice for the campaign. “With his background in streetwear and music, he had the grit and tone we wanted,” she said.
He created a live rave and let the models dance and move “to show their raw emotions and movements,” Barrett described.
But he was involved with more than just the film. “The look, feel and tone that he brought has been incredible,” she said. “He also had an eye for styling and casting — it was a true collaboration.”
Barrett said Adidas Originals product has been adopted by “people who shape culture,” which was the reason for the marketing shift this season.
Adidas Originals was created in 2001 to reimagine key pieces within the company’s archives. The collection, which has become popular in street culture, uses the Trefoil logo that was introduced in 1972. Over the years, Adidas Originals has partnered with Run-D.M.C., Y-3, Kith, Pharrell Williams’ Humanrace, Sporty & Rich and others.
Last month it created A-Type, an elevated assortment of some of the brand’s most popular pieces. It marked the first time Adidas had created high-end product on its own rather than with a luxury partner.
Barrett said that with A-Type and the new campaign, Adidas is “pushing the edges” of the Originals universe.
Over the past few years, the collection has been a shining star for Adidas. In the company’s fourth-quarter earnings report earlier this month, Adidas said Originals posted strong double-digit growth in the period.
“We’ve had a lot of great years,” Barrett said, adding to expect further exploration of the collection in the future. “Now we’re focusing on classics, but as we move to the back end of 2026, we will explore pushing innovation in product and offer more lifestyle [merchandise].”
