What if you could play a sport like the pressure to win didn’t exist? This is the question at the centre of a new adidas campaign, as the brand looks to inject a bit more fun into how young people perceive the world of sport.

The social campaign features three short films directed by Jess Kohl, who has previously worked with other sports brands including Nike, Speedo and On Running.

The first film, The 20 Foot Hoop, sees basketball star Anthony Edwards strike up a rapport with a young team of players in Minneapolis as he manages to score a hoop high above the court.

The second film, The Football Triangle, foregrounds three London-based girl’s football teams headed up by coach Catarina Macario, with the help of guest star footballers Mia Fishel, Gabriel Martinelli and Andreas Pereira. The action plays out on an unconventional pitch with triangular markings, designed by The Midnight Club creatives Luke and Vanya.

The final spot is set in Japan and shows a group of young tennis players, along with pros Francisco Cerundolo and Felix Auger Aliassime, messing about on a double-sized court.

“The overall creative concept was to reimagine the spaces where people play sports, with the intention of taking the pressure off and creating environments for players to just have fun and remember why they fell in love with the sport in the first place,” says Kohl.

Credits:
Agency: The Midnight Club
Creative Directors: Vanya Beloborodov, Luke Bartley
Production Company: Prettybird
Director: Jess Kohl
Director of Photography: Matthew Ballard