To launch the emergent FUTURECRAFT 4D, adidas Brand Design partnered with Miniac Films to create a film that harnesses the spirit of unyielding innovation and discovery in their quest to produce a hyper-personalized running shoe. FUTURECRAFT 4D is a pioneering partnership between adidas and Carbon. Together, they are upending traditional manufacturing with the ability to design and deliver a truly customized product made possible through the marriage of athletic research and 3D printing.
Part alchemy, part upheaval, Miniac - in close collaboration with adidas Brand Design - employed a reductive, layered approach to FUTURECRAFT; juxtaposing and counter-weighing images, sound, and language to describe this complex interweaving of humanity, science, art, design, technology and data.
"FUTURECRAFT is our approach and philosophy to aesthetic and design," commented Nick Cline, adidas' Creative Director for Global Brand Design in Amsterdam. "One of the biggest differences with adidas is the human element we bring to developing innovative products. We are striving to get as close as we can to culture, purpose and simplicity. This film needed to tell that story, in a human way. Most innovation stories are so techy. We found this amazing symmetry between how this product rises to how athletes rise. It's layer by layer. Everyday an athlete practices, goes for a run, or plays a match on the pitch, they are rising as an athlete. That's what our brand is about, helping athletes rise and become better."
"Our goal was to parallel the Future ideal - the spirit of innovation that is, by its very nature, in a constant beta state, where the unexpected meets rigorous to rise to the next level," explained Miniac Co-Founder/Director John C. Pina. "We wanted to honor the brilliant minds behind this technology while translating what can feel abstract and far-reaching, into something personal and individual.
To add sonic dimension to the project, Miniac tapped Grammy-nominated Junkie XL (Tom Holkenborg) known for his feature film compositions on Max Max Fury Road, Deadpool and Batman Vs. Superman (co-composed with Hans Zimmer). "Futurecraft" was edited by Eric Greenberg, produced by Rogers Marquess, and shot by Joshua James Richards.