German Film Student's 'Break Free' Ad For Adidas Goes Viral

A German film student "has been propelled to viral fame thanks to a powerful ad" he created for adidas as part of a class project, according to Rebecca Stewart of THE DRUM. Fourth-year creative communications student Eugen Merher "created the minute-and-a-half film in January last year." Since it was posted on YouTube and Vimeo last month "it has been quietly stacking up views and shares online." Dubbed "Break Free," the "emotive" spot tells the story of a "retired marathon runner who lives in a home for elderly." After discovering his old adidas training shoes, he gets "a new lease of life, but they are quickly confiscated by the nursing home staff." His fellow seniors "are swift to act, however, helping him jailbreak the sneakers back," leading to an ending which has left many viewers "cheering at their computers." While the brand "has failed to publicly react to the spot," it has so far been viewed over 4 million times on YouTube (THE DRUM, 1/7).