Don't believe the hype
A recent New York graffiti stunt by Adidas seems to have gotten a few people hot under the collar.
Adidas set up a full sized ‘replica’ of a train carriage and commissioned seven graffiti artists to do their thing.
Anti graffiti campaigner Peter Vallone was less than impressed. “Graffiti has nothing to do with sneakers,” said Vallone.
“It's just another despicable corporation trying to look edgy by promoting a crime in search of profits."
Sounds to me exactly the sort of response a stunt like this would have been looking to generate.
posted by Stan Lee at 1:03 pm
5 Comments:
To be honest... and albeit I don't know much about the actual event or campaign, but it does seem Adidas are trying a little too hard to be street with this. I mean, I LOVED the interactive blank billboards where people were encouraged to draw on them, but this just seems detached from that idea and the products themselves.
I agree with you that they're probably loving the attention, but (call me and 25 year old, old fogey) I just don't really see the point.
Just my two cents through...
If they were looking to generate that response they sure got it.
But it's still about as meaningful as Reebok's Reeboks let UBU campaign of the eighties which was similarly street and almost killed the brand.
I agree. And disagree.
There seems to be a real gulf between Adidas the 'sports' brand and Adidas the 'street' brand.
Wonder how wide that gulf needs to become before someone starts wondering how and why they created a gulf in the first place?
Spot on about the gulf Stan.
That's one of the biggest problems I have with Adidas. Their old school street range is excellent, but it feels so detached from the rest of their pursuits that the overall impact and message of the Adidas brand is just lost (or non existant). For me, it seems they have succumbed to just cashing on the "old school" 80's fashion revival with little or no vision.
The same can probably be said for Puma.
Personally that has become why I trust and value Nike so much more. Even their street range has elements of "supeior" technique and performance. Air Max 90's are great for running from the cops when you get busted graffing a train AND they look nice too. They have found ways to incorporate their core values into all of their product ranges.
While it might be able to convince the rest of us that Adidas are "street" - to the target audience, it gives little incentive to stop stealing the shoes and pay for them.
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