ADIDAS | Original Forever | 2026
The Reason Liam and Noel Stood Side by Side for the First Time in 10 Years? An Ad / adidas Originals "Original Forever"
The Gallagher brothers, who hadn't appeared together in more than ten years, showed up side by side on screen. What made it happen wasn't even the news that the band was reforming—it was an adidas ad.
The problem
In 2025, Oasis staged a historic reunion with their "Live '25" tour. adidas and Oasis have a long connection, linked through 1990s British football terrace culture, sitting right at the point where football, fashion, and music meet. With the whole world buzzing, plenty of brands were trying to ride the wave.
The insight
The project started from the idea that what fans actually wanted wasn't a collaboration with a brand—it was that same feeling from back then. Rather than putting the Gallagher brothers front and center, the team chose to portray the emotional bond of the fans who had kept the band's legend alive for 30 years. The aim was to show that some cultural moments never fade, no matter how much time passes.
The idea
The three-minute film follows a crowd surfer being carried forward through time toward the front of the stage, moving across Oasis's defining moments from the early '90s through Knebworth, Wembley, and the 2025 reunion. The song is a new arrangement of "Live Forever," used commercially for the first time ever. Over 300 extras were cast on the streets across the UK, and vintage outfits were pulled from adidas's own archive to get every era right. A 26-piece Oasis x adidas collection launched alongside the film.
What happened
At Cannes Lions 2026, the campaign won a double Grand Prix, taking top honors in both the Entertainment Lions and Entertainment Lions for Music categories. The jury president called it "a remarkable fusion of brand, band, and audience." adidas says the collaboration helped lift sales in its lifestyle division.
Afterthought
There's no shortage of ads that borrow an artist just to sell product, but this one works the other way around—it only came together because of 30 years of real history. The brand didn't push itself into the spotlight; it simply stood close to the fans' memories. And that alone made it one of the most powerful ads around.
Awards
- Cannes Lions Grand Prix 2026
