Adidas Originals and Johannes Leonardo recently tapped IDENTITY’s Philip Andelman to direct a contemporary campaign that captures the minimalist philosophy of Adidas Originals’ EQT line. The five-spot campaign expresses the creative spirit of Detroit, a forward-look city in the midst of an innovative rebirth, by featuring local artists and musicians. The campaign premiered on Instagram and is available to watch online here.
“The whole theory of the EQT brand is that it’s rooted in stripped down, sparse essentialism,” said Director Andelman, “The first EQT line was born in Berlin in the early 90s, and when it was relaunched last year, Adidas Originals picked Detroit as EQT’s new home base. They’re like sister cities, raw and real, undergoing a rebirth and fostering thriving artistic communities. It’s always been a dream of mine to shoot in Detroit, and I really connected with the philosophy behind the EQT brand.”
Filmed on location, the campaign includes four 15-second spots that are mini portraits of local Detroit talent, including rapper Danny Brown, musician and creative Angel Haze, artist Tiff Massey and musician and producer Jay Daniel. The campaign embraces the undying spirit of Detroit, a city infused with soul, rising up from the ashes, as seen through the eyes of the featured artists. A longer 60-second spot culminates the creative philosophies of all four artists, shot in stripped-down locations throughout the city.
“The locations were breathtaking, haunting and beautiful. It’s easy to show ruins in Detroit, but we wanted to show a city ready to blossom and on the verge of a revival,” noted Andelman, “I worked closely with the DP, my friend Max Goldman, to select stark, empty locations that didn’t feel like ruins, and instead expressed a sense of hope that there’s a birth taking place in the city.”
The sparse locations are paired with a soft, echoed soundtrack, creating an empty canvas for an artistic renaissance in the city fueled by innovative growth and transformation.
About IDENTITY
From its inception, IDENTITY has painstakingly built a brand and reputation based on their visual sophistication, individuality, and refreshing creativity. IDENTITY’s curated roster of highly innovative and unique directors are sought after all over the world. IDENTITY has made its mark on award-winning work for clients such as Samsung, L’Oreal, Tiffany, Gillette and Lexus, creating an environment where creativity continuously flourishes. Headlining the visual-style genre, IDENTITY’s directors cover the complete range of storytelling and lifestyle.
IDENTITY thrives in an open forum loft located in Manhattan’s meatpacking district. At this collective, it is not unusual to find directors collaborating on others’ projects. It’s all part of the company credo to have a great time doing remarkable work in a relaxed atmosphere. https://identityid.com/
Sonic Branding For Social Media: Engage, Align, Connect
By Chad Cook -- With more than five billion people accessing social media daily, savvy brands understand the importance of cultivating a strong social identity. They devote massive resources toward brand awareness, audience targeting, content strategy and community engagement. Yet, while they know that social platforms are critical to boosting sales and attracting new customers, many neglect one of the most effective tools for connecting with consumers: sonic branding. Marketers often associate sonic branding with catchy mnemonics used by big brands like McDonald’s, Netflix and Intel in their advertising. But that is a very limited view of what sonic branding is and what it can do. Sonic branding is a way to build awareness and stimulate engagement across all touch points, from advertising to broadcast digital, in-person and social. And it’s not limited to members of the Fortune 500. Brands at all levels can benefit from a sonic identity that is memorable, engaging and reflective of its core values. Sound has been scientifically proven to be deeply tied to memory and emotion. There’s a reason that certain songs stick in your head and bring back memories formed years or even decades earlier. So, it’s surprising that sonic branding is often an afterthought in marketing plans. That is especially true in social media marketing. Faced with tight deadlines and strained budgets, creative teams are often tempted to select music for their content simply because it “fits.” Unfortunately, that may result in content that is in tune with what’s trending but is out of tune with brand identity. Effective sonic branding, by contrast, requires thoughtful strategic planning,... Read More