adidas originals: “the left-right project”.

Once again, Adidas asserts itself as the best brand ever. What I love about them is that they’re not just piggy-backing on a culture or pillaging its image in an effort to be cool. These aren’t just advertisements – they’re statements. Adidas actually fosters the creation of art and exploration of ideas.

I’m not being naïve; sure, then they use them to build their brand and promote a product. But there’s an artistic sincerity here that always rings true for me, and any brand getting shit this cool done is clearly at the top of its game.

Though the proper name is “The Superstar Film”, it’s travelling around as “The Left-Right Project”, which I think is a better name anyway. They’ve taken classic Superstar shell-toes and built gigantic 15-foot long models, sending the left show to the west coast and the right shoe to the east. On opposite sides of the continent, Sam Flores and Upper Playground customized one Superstar on the west while NYC/Paris collective Surface2Air handled the east. The results are as amazing as you’d expect.

The designs are sick, and “The Left-Right Project” is one more jewel in the Adidas crown. All day I dream about shoes… damn right.

pangea day.

In 2007 Arab-American documentary filmmaker Jehane Noujaim was awarded a TED Idea Prize for her wish to “bring the world together for one day a year through the power of film.”

The realization of her dream will happen on May 10, 2008 as Pangea Day takes over the world. Professional and amateur filmmakers are needed to send in their own short films –  the only criteria being that they provoke thought, inspire others, and share pieces of their experiences with people who will never meet them. Official live viewings will be hosted in Brazil, Egypt, India, the UK, Israel, the Palestinian Territory, Rwanda and the US; a four-hour live video-conference will show a stretch of films, speakers and music to unify people through the power of common emotion. If you’re not in the host cities, then the program will also be broadcast live on TV, online, and on mobile devices or you can take part in hundreds of public viewings being organized in cities everywhere. Even better, you can get involved yourself and host a viewing of your own.

The hope is that millions of people around the world will gather outdoors, at theatres, and with their families to connect with the entire globe. The site explains it perfectly: “Movies alone can’t change the world. But the people who watch them can”. The February 15th deadline to submit your film is almost here. Get inspired by the trailer and take part: