Adidas Releases 'Original Is Never Finished' Ad Campaign

Adidas' "divisive" new campaign, "'Original is never finished,' reframes Frank Sinatra through the lens of high fashion, youth culture and jarring visual flourishes," according to CAMPAIGN LIVE. Love it or "hate it, it is certainly unforgettable." Released last week, the spot begins with a series of "arresting images." Sportswear-clad teens "hanging like bats from a pole." A cloaked man stares out at the camera with white laces draped across his shoulders. Masked kids swing flaming torches. If this all "sounds like material for a post-apocalyptic Mad Max film, then you're not far off." Aesthetically, "Original is never finished" is "ambitious in the extreme, preferring a profoundly memorable aesthetic over any easily-summarised plot." Directed by Terrence Neale, who lent his "ragged sci-fi look" to previous adidas campaigns, the spot is "intended to be a cross-cultural pot pourri." With "plenty of big-budget sports advertising to compete with," adidas has taken the "clever route" of differentiating itself by creating its own marketing genre. If Nike produces the "blockbusters" of the ad world, then adidas "seems to be the arthouse alternative" (CAMPAIGN LIVE, 1/27).