Adidas drops first campaign with Kendall Jenner

When we first heard that Adidas would be collaborating with Kendall Jenner, we couldn’t shake off the excitement for the release of the campaign. What did we have to look forward to? It was the first major endorsement since her infamous Pepsi commercial was pulled in April. And we thought the bad campaigns would end there.

Sportswear brand Adidas proved us wrong, as it is causing controversy all over our social media. This was down to how sports stars and fitness influences should be the faces of sportswear brands, not supermodels. The sister of Kim Kardashian isn’t the first supermodel to grace her presence with being the face of a worldwide sportswear brand; we’ve seen Gigi Hadid for Reebok, Bella Hadid for Nike, and Kylie Jenner for Puma. But what made this campaign so talked about?

The art influenced campaign Original is Never Finished, has covered some of the most powerful people in art. Frank Sinatra’s My Way, remix was played during a clip of Jenner incubating in a glass pod in which she is showcasing Adidas’ new collection. Besides her rock hard abs, the star stunned us in a crop top and underwear with the classic Adidas Superstar trainers. 

The campaign cuts to Botticelli’s iconic Birth of Venus, one of several classical art references. Jenner covered up more in this shot wearing an Adidas three-stripe tracksuit. What gets more arty than this? Being surrounded by pitchforks that evoke Da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man drawings? This campaign has it covered.

Despite the negative energy the campaign has brought, we think it has been well executed. Time to get buying!

Jordan Ellen Wood
Photos: Courtesy of Adidas