The Weekly Roundup (week of 6.3)
Adidas Basketball and On Running make big moves...
1. Anthony Edwards and Adidas–Believe That: Receipts
Another banger from this Adidas basketball team. They are crushing it with Anthony Edwards, and their most recent commercial following Ant’s exit from the playoffs plays into the fervent media chatter surrounding him and his impact on the basketball world. Adidas goes as far as naming specific people like Carmelo Anthony and Cam’ron, who did not take lightly to the callout. I’m pleasantly surprised by Adidas’ appetite for risk with their recent basketball marketing, and I can only imagine how much trust they have in that team to just let ‘em cook like that. Everything about the “Believe That” campaign has been excellent from the art direction to the tone of voice, to the actual content itself. 10/10.
2. ON Running signs Zendaya
Personally, I’m not a huge fan of the shoes or apparel that were part of the Zendaya edit, but you can’t deny the brilliance behind the strategy. ON continues to make an impact on the culture with smart strategic moves, further aligning itself to the tennis world with an appearance in the movie “Challengers” thanks in part to its partnership with Loewe’s Jonathan Anderson. Their collaborations have been well executed and tasteful, and if you’re walking around NYC these days you see ON footwear everywhere. They continue to raise brand awareness with calculated and shrewd partnerships while staying committed to their original mission of making excellent performance products. Maybe they can break free of their finance bro/VC associations. Read the Vogue press release here.
3. NORMCORE WAS ALWAYS A MISUNDERSTOOD FANTASY
Ten years after coining the era-defining sensibility, three K-HOLE members reflect on normcore’s evolution—and the state of viral trend forecasting.
Excellent piece in SSENSE that reflects on the infamous K-HOLE report and coinage of the term “Norm-core.” Read here.
4. Why Does Gen Z Love Nirvana Tees, Thrasher Hoodies, and Bass Pro Shops Hats?
How young people learned to stop worrying and love mass-produced subcultural merch—even if they can’t name three Nirvana songs.