Adidas puts a giant cannabis plantation in its advert
In its advertising campaign « Your Future Is Not Mine »For its Spring/Summer 2016 collection, Adidas invited all sneaker fans to create their own future—with a little nod that will appeal to cannabis enthusiasts.".
In this commercial directed by Terence Neale, known for his music videos for Die Antwoord (Banana Brain) or its commercials for Coca-Cola or KFC, young adults walk side by side in their Adidas-branded clothes through visually striking scenes as the solemn piano notes give way to a rebellious call to action: « I’ll never go down your path; I’ll find my own way… on my own » (I won't follow your path; I'll find my own... on my own). And the tune repeats as these Millennials blaze a trail toward a new world.
But what you may have missed while watching the ad above is simply a brief scene in which the two dissidents walk through what appears to be an industrial cannabis plantation. Inside this greenhouse, they pass by a farmer wearing a gas mask and a protective suit who is spraying cannabis plants with what we hope is an organic 100% mixture.
This isn't the first time Adidas has incorporated a bit of cannabis culture. The brand had previously released, among other things, 420-friendly pairs of sneakers made of hemp, for this year's 420.
The brand with the three stripes is desperately trying to catch up to Nike’s cool factor. It has enlisted controversial figures like Kanye West from the fashion world to position Adidas as the «it» brand for the next generation, eager to reject the status quo set by their elders.
By accepting and promoting the reintroduction of cannabis into culture mainstream, Adidas is already positioning itself for a future that could be ours. In fact, in its ad, the brand calls on everyone to push past current limitations to build their own future. Is this a message of hope?
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Nicolas Opal
October 17, 2016 at 2:48 p.m.
Hi, I think Adidas' message is a little distorted in your article.
In each scene, the protagonists move through a world that isn’t their own, as you said: «I won’t follow your path; I’ll find my own.» So we can conclude that the cannabis culture depicted is the opposite of the world the protagonists are passing through—and therefore the opposite of what the viewer «should» follow.
However—and this is where it gets interesting— this plantation doesn’t exactly inspire confidence, especially with the guy in full protective gear spraying a product that’s almost certainly toxic (as opposed to a «100% organic blend»). It is this world of pesticides and mass production that is being criticized here.
The message would then be: cannabis, yes, but in an ethical way.
Peace.
NewsWeed
October 17, 2016 at 5:52 p.m.
Hi Nicolas,
An interesting analysis that expands on our idea of «going beyond current limitations to build our future.» Absolutely, we agree with you 🙂