The BVG-adidas EQT/Berlin shoe
BVG
Issue 46 | March 2018
Agency
Jung von Matt/SAGA, Hamburg
Creative Team
Creative Dörte Spengler-Ahrens, Marielle Heiss, Axel Spendlingwimmer, Austin Campbell
Production Team
Production adidas produced the shoe Virus the Casestudy video
Other Credits
Other Management Stephan Giest Account Direction Annette Krebs
Date
January 2017
Background
Berlin was the pulsing capital of Europe with an anti-establishment culture based in the edgy underground scene.
Young Berliners tended to be hostile towards anything that they did not regard as cool. This included BVG, Berlin's public transport system. Young Berliners hated it so much, they wouldn't even buy a ticket when they were forced to use it.
Idea
Celebrating its 90th anniversary, BVG wanted to get the young back onto public transport and let them know that they did not need to own a car. The visual lynchpin of their rebranding in 2017 was the camouflage design of the train seats.
This pattern was spun into a range of merchandise, including bibs, swimming shorts and tea-cosies. And adidas sneakers.
One of the coolest brands in the world, adidas, created a shoe that doubled up as a season ticket to the city's transport system. Embedded in the tongues of the EQT Support/Berlin trainers was a transit pass for a whole year.
While the cheapest annual ticket usually cost €228, the trainers cost €180. Only 500 pairs were made so BVG expected there to be interest in the idea from trainer collectors as well as from those looking to save money on their daily commute. However, they were not prepared for what happened.
Results
Thousands of people showed up to both the stores that were selling the shoes. Hundreds camped out in the snow for up to six days. The shoe sold out in only 3 hours. Some of those who were lucky enough to get a pair have organised group night-rides on the trains.
Our Thoughts
I wouldn't be able to use these sneakers. I'm simply not young enough and supple enough to be able to get my feet up to the electronic ticket swipe. And that's the point. It makes passing through the barriers a feat of athleticism and something old folks simply couldn't do. Wearing the shoes is a statement of youthfulness and vitality, which must rub off on BVG, a brand that's been around since 1928. Brandjacking is usually frowned upon but in this instance BVG's association with adidas looks like a masterstroke. Everyone comes out of it looking cool.