Adidas "Hidden in Plain Sight" / AdWeek Project Isaac Winner / Mobile Innovation

Adidas, Hidden in Plain Sight

Adidas Originals tasked us with launching a new colorway for the iconic NMD shoe, available exclusively at Champs Sports. The goal was to drive engagement and purchase intent with real fans—not shoe resellers. We reimagined the product drop as a series of “hidden” WebAR experiences that eliminated lines and outsmarted resellers.

AdWeek’s Project Isaac Award: Media: Mobile Invention

Clio, Bronze: Fashion and Beauty / Product or Service

Adidas x Champs

For the launch of the exclusive Camo Collection we turned city walls into AR-powered Champs’ storefronts ensuring product went to real fans—not resellers. By reframing the drop we replaced the static queue with a journey built just for the most core fans.

Reinventing the Drop.

Across the country, WebAR-enabled wild postings transformed city street corners into instant hidden drop zones—no app download required. Fans who found the posters could skip the line and click straight to purchase. We provided local streetwear influencers with custom stickers so that they could create their own hidden drop sites. Influencers shared their sticker locations on Instagram—so only true fans who followed along could find them.

We worked with these influencers to co-create editorial content on Instagram Stories, along with interactive city guides to share the hidden dropzone locations with their communities. WebAR turned posters and wild postings into hidden product drop zones that only real fans would spot. Fans could explore the new NMD Camo Pack in immersive, interactive AR before clicking through to a mobile optimized commerce site, guaranteeing access to the shoe.

The experience was designed to engage and drive conversion with a small, hyper targeted base of core NMD fans—activated by the local influencers they love.

168% Sales Lift

87% Click-Through to Commerce

35.8MImpressions from Wild Postings

2:45 Average Engagement Rate with Wild Postings

What people are saying.

“With long lines and predatory resellers, shoe releases have become a drag for sneaker aficionados. Adidas, Champs Sports and Firstborn changed that bummer of a reality with ‘Hidden in Plain Sight,’ a series of WebAR-enabled wild postings that for a month in early 2019 turned street corners into drop zones for new kicks. Fans who found the posters could explore and purchase directly from the experience. Firstborn chief creative officer Dave Snyder says the drop was ‘successful beyond expectations.’ It generated almost 36 million impressions, average engagement was 2 minutes 45 seconds with 87% conversion and the NMD Camo saw a 168% lift in sales. And most important, only real fans got their hands on the new product.”