Colliderscope, Unite All Originals & Stella McCartney Barricade Launch

A fusion of design, technology, fashion, and music that transformed product launches into immersive brand experiences.

Summary

Project Overview

While working with Naked Communications in Melbourne (2012-2015), I led creative direction for adidas across multiple campaigns that pushed the boundaries of brand experience. Three flagship projects: the Colliderscope experiential event, Unite All Originals music collaboration, and the Australian launch of the Stella McCartney Barricade tennis range, all demonstrated how design, technology, and creative partnerships could create deeper connections between the brand and its audience.

Objective

To elevate adidas's brand presence in the Australian market by creating memorable, shareable experiences that bridged physical and digital realms while authentically connecting with target audiences.

Outcomes

Colliderscope Event: Successfully merged Carbon's visual artistry with adidas Originals, creating an interactive installation where attendees' 3D-scanned faces collided with live visuals on massive screens.
Unite All Originals: Partnered with Noisy (Vice Media) to bring together six Australian and New Zealand musicians to create three exclusive original tracks, following in the footsteps of the Run DMC and A-Trak collaboration. The campaign bridged music, culture, and brand storytelling.
Stella McCartney Launch: Designed and built a mirrored tennis court for a fashion-forward photoshoot that captured adidas's global attention. The locally-produced campaign imagery was adopted for the global rollout, replacing the original global campaign.
Established new benchmarks for experiential marketing in the Australian market, demonstrating the power of design-led thinking in advertising.

Approach

Experience-Led Creative Strategy

Developed concepts that merged adidas's brand DNA with cutting-edge technology and design thinking.
Focused on creating participatory experiences rather than passive advertising moments.
Collaborated with leading artists, photographers, and technologists to bring ambitious visions to life.

Innovation in Execution

Colliderscope: Integrated 3D facial scanning technology with live visual projections, allowing attendees to literally become part of the artwork.
Unite All Originals: Curated musical collaborations between diverse artists, creating authentic content that resonated with adidas Originals' street culture roots.
Barricade Launch: Designed and fabricated a custom mirrored tennis court to create striking, fashion-forward imagery that honoured both Stella McCartney's aesthetic and tennis heritage.

Strategic Collaboration

Partnered with Berlin-based fashion photographer Astrid Salomon to capture the Barricade campaign.
Worked with visual artist collective Carbon to create the Colliderscope experience.
Collaborated with Noisy (Vice Media) to produce and promote the Unite All Originals music series.
Coordinated with adidas's global and regional teams to ensure brand alignment while maintaining creative ambition.

Key Insights

Brand Experience Evolution

Traditional advertising was giving way to immersive, participatory experiences.
Consumers, particularly in the performance and streetwear markets, valued authenticity and innovation over polished marketing messages.
Technology could amplify creativity when used purposefully, not as a gimmick.

Local to Global Impact

Regional markets could lead global creative direction when given autonomy and resources.
Design quality and conceptual strength could override expensive production budgets.
Collaboration with local talent (photographers, artists, fabricators) could yield world-class results.

Deliverables

Stella McCartney Barricade Launch

Custom mirrored tennis court design and fabrication
Campaign photography (4 athletes)
Launch event design and execution
Marketing collateral for Australian and global markets

Colliderscope

Interactive 3D scanning installation
Event branding and poster design
Social media content and documentation
Partnership activation with Carbon

Unite All Originals

Three exclusive original tracks
Artist collaboration and curation
Music promotion via Noisy/Vice Media

My role

Creative Direction and Vision

Conceived and directed the Colliderscope event, Unite All Originals music series, and Stella McCartney launch campaigns from initial concept through execution.
Championed design-led approaches within an advertising agency context, demonstrating how design thinking could elevate brand work.

Experience Design

Designed the physical mirrored tennis court installation, overseeing fabrication and ensuring it met both aesthetic and functional requirements for photography.
Developed the participant journey for Colliderscope, ensuring the 3D scanning technology created genuine moments of delight.

Collaboration and Partnership

Selected and briefed Berlin-based photographer Astrid Salomon, articulating the vision for fashion-meets-performance imagery.

Collaborated with visual artists Carbon to integrate their aesthetic with adidas Originals' brand values.
Partnered with Noisy (Vice Media) to curate and produce the Unite All Originals music series, bringing together six Australian and New Zealand artists.
Worked directly with adidas regional and global teams to gain approval for unconventional approaches.

Design and Production Oversight

Led design of all event collateral, including posters, environmental graphics, and digital touchpoints.
Managed fabrication partners and technical vendors to deliver complex installations on time and on budget.

Strategic Impact

Successfully positioned design as a strategic differentiator in campaign development, not just execution.
Demonstrated ROI of bold creative thinking when the Barricade campaign was adopted globally, saving adidas significant production costs while delivering superior creative output.

Adidas: Redefining brand experience through design and technology