adidas / UAE / 2024OOH · Experiential · Social
The Desert Runner.
To launch the Adizero Desert Runner shoe, adidas had earth artist David Popa carve a 100-metre artwork into the dunes, made over 11 days in the same heat runners face.
- Brand
- adidas
- Agency
- Havas Middle East
- Market
- UAE
- Region
- GCC
- Year
- 2024
The challenge
Sports brands in the Middle East usually market indoor fitness and avoid the heat. adidas wanted to treat the desert as a challenge runners could take on.
The idea
Havas Middle East worked with David Popa on a 100-metre artwork visible only from one dune. Runners from the community were taken to see it at the reveal, and aerial footage, influencer content and athletes' stories carried it online.
Results
- 15 million+ organic reach and 800,000+ engagements, according to the Dubai Lynx entry
- The first batch of shoes sold out shortly after launch, the entry says
Case study source: Dubai Lynx (Love The Work) Source ↗
Awards
- Dubai Lynx 2025Industry Craft – Art Direction: OutdoorSilver
Credits
- Creative agency
- Havas Middle East
- Production
- VIP Films
- PR
- Havas Red
- Additional company
- Havas Play
- Managing Director, Havas Middle East
- Fabio Silveira
- Executive Creative Director, Havas Middle East
- Leonardo Borges
- Group Creative Director, Havas Middle East
- Anshuman Bhattacharya
- Director, Havas Middle East
- Ahmed Raslan
- Senior Art Director, Havas Middle East
- Shalisha Hira
- Senior Art Director, Havas Middle East
- Sávio Hatherly
- Senior Copywriter, Havas Middle East
- Samantha Pires
- Senior Copywriter, Havas Middle East
- Rickie Cheyne
- Senior Editor, Havas Middle East
- Farah Mohamed
- Content Creator, Havas Middle East
- Kevin Mibzar Samuel
- Content Creator, Havas Middle East
- Abdulhamid Baabde
- Photographer, Havas Middle East
- Ahmed Zaghloul
- SVP Strategy, Havas Middle East
- Alejandro Fischer
- Strategy Director, Havas Middle East
- Bruno Araldi
- Strategy Manager, Havas Middle East
- Mohammad El Tayech
- Client Services Director, Havas Middle East
- Selina Khiroya
- Senior Account Manager, Havas Middle East
- Mia Moussa
- Account Manager, Havas Middle East
- Dana Ftouni
- Producer, Havas Middle East
- Alex Bianchini
- Social Media Director, Havas Middle East
- Ayah Mounzer
- Social Media Manager, Havas Middle East
- Dana Daoud
- Social Media Executive, Havas Middle East
- Bassam Dergham
- Community Manager, Havas Middle East
- Reem Dergham
- Managing Director, Havas Red Middle East
- Dana Tahir
- PR Senior Director, Havas Red Middle East
- Razan Karim
- PR Manager, Havas Red Middle East
- Ryan Costa
- PR Senior Manager, Havas Red Middle East
- Ahmed Yousif
- Chief Creative Officer, Havas Play Paris
- Fabrice Plazolles
- Art Director, Havas Play Paris
- Quentin Clausse
- Copywriter, Havas Play Paris
- Nil Niviere Schouvaloff
- Senior Manager Newsroom lead, adidas
- Ivan Delmakov
- Senior Director Brand EMC, adidas
- Eugene Karasev
- PR Manager, adidas
- Sarah Skaf
- Performance Manager, adidas
- Alex Fowler
- Senior Manager Brand Comms, adidas
- Ramy Camel-Toueg
- Senior Specialist, adidas
- Robert Mayuga
- Artist
- David Popa
- Assistant Artist, David Popa
- Ryan Muir
- Assistant Artist, David Popa
- Uku Sakari
- Executive Producer, VIP Films
- Martha Nassar
- Line Producer, VIP Films
- Luciana Boulos
- Location Manager, VIP Films
- Hani Khayyat
- Production Manager, VIP Films
- Gilbert Hajjar
- Production Manager, VIP Films
- Anna Krizia Delasantos
- Drone Artist, VIP Films
- Bachir Moukarzel
- Editor, VIP Films
- Nathalie Moussa
- Operations Director, Havas Middle East
- Frederik Lauridsen
