Controversial adidas Originals ad draws mixed response

adidas Originals released a new film, ‘Original is never finished’, featuring celebrities from the worlds of music, skate, sport, style and art "to inspire a new generation of creators to redefine the meaning of originality."The film has netted 4.7 million views on YouTube so far, but drew mixed responses from netizens. Comments on YouTube criticised the "satanist" and "creepy" imagery in the video, while others lauded the ads' raw nature, inclusion of youth culture and diverse cast.Conceptualised under the creative direction of Johannes Leonardo, adidas Originals’ global creative agency of record, the film aims to deliver a visual representation of the idea that your own way will always be entirely original.Reaffirming the notion original is never finished, the film features a remix of the iconic song, “My Way” by Frank Sinatra with a provocative, reimagined approach to today’s streetwear culture.It also stars a multi-generational cast including Snoop Dogg, Dev Hynes, Stormzy, Mabel, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Brandon Ingram, Petra Collins, Gonz and Lucas Puig.[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cv53BKMYsy0[/embed]“The past empowers the future is a philosophy that the Originals brand stays true to in everything they do. We wanted to bring this to life by exploring the rich creative past of all spheres of creativity, music, art, film and even sport,” Ferdinando Verderi, Wes Phelan and Matt Edwards, ceative directors at Johannes Leonardo stated.“‘Original is never finished’ is an open invitation to the new creative community. It’s a call to action to create by using the past as a canvas for new ideas,” they add.“Everything we do for adidas Originals is a work in progress, as true creativity is never finished”, says Alegra O’Hare, VP of global communications adidas Originals & Core. “We are constantly challenging ourselves and breaking down the boundaries that limit imagination; we hope to inspire all creators to do the same.”