Adidas: who needs Kanye when you have Stephen Graham?

With Kanye West binned after his anti-semitic comments – and warehouses full of unsold Yeezy stock drowning out Adidas’ profits – the sportswear brand has turned instead to actor Stephen Graham as it makes a move on North Face/Patagonia territory.

Shot in Iceland, the four minute film shows Graham – known for his roles in This is England, Line of Duty, and Boiling Point, among others – throwing himself into nature and learning from local artists about the country’s mythology, which is steeped in its dramatic landscapes.

Graham makes a credible model for the Adidas Spezial retro gear. He said: “It may sound strange, but for me, clothing and footwear can be an emotive thing, especially with something like Adidas Spezial. It reminds me of being a kid and having to save up for a pair of trainers that I really wanted, or asking my mum for a pair at Christmas.”

He may have played some dodgy criminal characters, but Graham is all class in real life, and a surprising yet smart choice for the campaign.

MAA creative scale: 7

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About Emma Hall

Emma Hall is a journalist and editorial consultant and is the former Europe Editor of Ad Age, where she covered European marketing advertising, digital and media stories. She has written for newspapers including the Financial Times, The Guardian, The Times and the Telegraph, and was previously a section editor at Campaign. Emma started her career in New York as a researcher for a biography of Keith Richards.

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