Adidas Originals - adistar XLG 2.0 Campaign

Client

Adidas

Year

2026

Tags

  • Content & Campaign
  • Fashion
  • Lifestyle

The Context

Not just a drop. But a moment.

adidas Originals tapped MATTE Projects to launch the Adistar XLG 2.0; a bold, tentacled silhouette quickly nicknamed “The Squid.” Positioned as the evolution of Pharrell’s Jellyfish, the objective was to generate cultural buzz and drive Gen Z relevance around the drop. The launch needed to feel disruptive, internet-native, and impossible to ignore; not just a product release, but a moment.

The Approach

An Invasion Engineered

MATTE responded with a cinematic parody of the Hollywood invasion story: in this world, a Jellyfish clone experiment gone wrong. What starts as a top-secret lab mishap quickly spirals into full-blown cultural takeover; except the “creature” isn’t a monster. It’s the shoe. And the face of the invasion? Rap phenom, BigXthaPlug.

Leaning into exaggerated genre tropes, hyper-saturated color palettes, and tongue-in-cheek tension, the campaign reframed the Adistar XLG 2.0 as an unstoppable force multiplying across the country. The storytelling played with sci-fi panic, clone hysteria, and over-the-top reactions; blending internet absurdity with elevated, cinematic craft.


The multi-phase rollout unfolded across OOH, hero film, cutdowns, social-first assets, and talent amplification; featuring BigXthaPlug, BKtherula, and Alijah Arenas... turning a product drop into a cultural spectacle designed to be seen and remembered.

The Outcome

The inevitable takeover

The launch didn’t just drop... it disrupted the scene. The campaign popped up across culture and fashion media, earning coverage from key outlets and igniting conversation across social. Amplified by the reach of BigXthaPlug, BKtherula, and Alijah Arenas, the invasion narrative was seen, sent, and reposted millions of times, helping extend far beyond adidas Originals’ owned channels.


What began as a parody experiment of Pharrell’s iconic silhouette became a feed-dominating moment that gave the Adistar XLG 2.0 a life of its own as one of the most talked-about drops of the season.

  • MATTE Partner

    Max Pollack

  • Client Director

    Carter Adams

  • Project Manager

    Dylan Valdivia

  • Head of Creative

    Don Kim

  • Associate Creative Director

    Ariel Panigel

  • Senior Art Director

    Cody Park

  • Graphic Designer

    Caleb Ekeroth

  • Senior Designer

    Nick Wilson

    Tanya Lize

  • Senior Strategist

    Deborah Igunma

  • Director

    91 Rules

  • DP

    Andrew Yuyi Truong

  • Executive Producer

    Kristen Bowman

  • Producer

    Maria B Fernandez

  • Production Design

    Liam Moore

  • Sound Design & Mix

    Staub Audio

  • Stylist

    Genesis Duran

  • Senior Director of Post Production

    Michael Czeizinger

  • Post Production Manager

    Caro Fortuna

  • Post Producers

    San Yvin

    Ben Lomeli

  • Video Editor

    Nicola Rios

    Owen Walker

  • Editor

    Aaron Saiki

  • EP

    Lexi Stearn

  • Post Producer

    Hannah Smith

  • Color House

    Company 3

  • Colorist

    Joseph Bicknell

  • Producer

    Shoko Mizuguchi

    Shannen Troup

  • VFX Services

    Scissor Films

  • On-set VFX Supervisor

    Sam Malko

  • VFX Producer

    Ashlyn DesRoches

  • VFX Coordinator

    Daniel Taran

  • 3D Modeler

    Mark Thorsen

    Edward Baxter

    CJ McKenzie

    Kat Holovata

    Yana Shiyan

    Edward Baxter

  • Simulation Artist

    Mike Stan

  • Texture Artist

    Yana Shiyan

    Mark Thorsen

  • Lighting Renderer

    Serge Michaelson

    Mark Thorsen

  • 2D Compositor

    Serge Mihaylov

  • 3D Compositor

    Andrii Malyhin