WATCH US MOVE / BEYOND THE SURFACE
Title | WATCH US MOVE / BEYOND THE SURFACE |
Brand | ADIDAS |
Product/Service | ADIDAS SWIM |
Category |
A03. Casting |
Entrant
|
HAVAS MIDDLE EAST Dubai, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
|
Idea Creation
|
HAVAS MIDDLE EAST Dubai, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
|
PR
|
HAVAS MIDDLE EAST Dubai, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
|
Production
|
LA COSA DE LAS PELICULAS Barcelona, SPAIN
|
Credits
Fabio Silveira |
Havas Middle East |
General Manager |
Joao Medeiros |
Havas Middle East |
Executive Creative Director |
Anshuman Bhattacharya |
Havas Middle East |
ACD / Copywriter |
Karim Sherif |
Havas Middle East |
Copywriting (Arabic) |
Michele De Iuliis |
Havas Middle East |
Art Director |
Karim Sherif |
Havas Middle East |
Copywriter (Arabic) |
Nicholas Bristow |
Havas Middle East |
Copywriter |
Nagat Idris |
Havas Middle East |
Copywriter (Arabic) |
Justine Dib |
Havas Middle East |
Account Manager |
Carlos Nadal |
Havas Middle East |
Head of Growth |
Razan Karim |
Red Havas Middle East |
Communications Director |
Salma Malaeb |
Red Havas Middle East |
Communications Executive |
Myriam Khoury |
La Cosa |
Executive Producer |
Caballo Pistola |
La Cosa |
Director (Film) |
Arjun Saraswat |
adidas |
Senior Manager Brand Communications Emerging Markets |
Arnaud JeanGirard |
adidas |
VP Brand adidas Emerging Markets |
Amrith Gopinath |
adidas |
Senior Director Brand adidas MENA |
Paul O'Connor |
adidas |
Director Brand Communications and Sport Marketing MENA |
Giovanna Altomare |
adidas |
Manager Marketing Operations MENA |
Write a short summary of what happens in the film
The film is a manifesto for women everywhere, reminding them that irrespective of their shapes, ethnicities, abilities and faiths, they are all more beyond the surface and that they should all feel confident in water.
To bring this message to life, we started with bringing onboard Asma Elbadawi, an activist and poet known for changing the rules of basketball to make wearing a hijab in professional games legal.
An inspiring poem by her was used as the basis for the film that celebrated 5 truly unique women including Asma, who had all spent their whole life struggling with finding the confidence to swim in public.
The film launched adidas's new inclusive swimwear collection by sparking conversations about making swimming more inclusive in over 50 countries across 6 continents.
Cultural / Context information for the jury
While globally, 32% of women don’t feel comfortable wearing a swimsuit at a public beach or pool, in MENA the number is 88% (almost 3 times higher).
- YouGov, Consumer Research, Women in Water Sports in MENA, 2021
The challenge was to create a piece of communication to highlight the issue and raise awareness to the launch of the new adidas conservative swimwear collection - a piece that would be part of the broader “Beyond the Surface” campaign and an initiative of the brand’s commitment to close the gender gap in sports.
Tell the jury about the casting process.
To celebrate, and represent, every woman’s right to feel confident in the water, the casting was focused on inclusivity and diversity.
The film with a poem celebrated the confidence water brings to all women from every walk of life (different shapes, ethnicities, abilities and faith) in which we cast five women with unique stories, including:
- Asma Elbadawi - is a Sudanese-British spoken word poet, activist, basketball player and coach. Known to have petitioned and succeeded in convincing the International Basketball Association (FIBA) to remove a ban on hijabs and religious headwear in the professional sport.
- Dareen Barbar - the first Arab Amputee to win World Beauty Fitness & Fashion, Guinness World Record, Triathlete
- Raha Moharrak - is the youngest Arab and the first Saudi woman to climb Mount Everest. She has also climbed Mount Kilimanjaro, Mount Vinson, Mount Elbrus, Aconcagua, Kala Pattar, Pico de Orizaba and Iztaccihuatl.