Written by Kianna Best on Aug 15, 2022. Posted in Production News

Artist Hebru Brantley brings his signature style to new Adidas commercial

Renowned fine artist Hebru Brantley has collaborated with Adidas for their Ten Toes Down campaign. The commercial oozes with Brantley‘s quintessential bright colour schemes and quirky imagery, meshed with the essence of Black American culture. Agency Kitchen Table New York and Director Agustin Freire partnered with Brantley’s Angry Hero to bring the narrative to life.

The advert follows a young man running away from a deep purple fog through the dark city streets. As he seeks safety in Brantley’s gallery, he weaves through the commotion of spectators. Just as he believes to have escaped, he is sucked into an artistic alternate dimension. Morphing into an animated character, his final form sports the signature Kermit the Frog hood of Frogboy, matched by a group wearing the identical headwear. Leaving an Adidas branded shoe print behind, he joins his newfound army, ready to face off what had been chasing him. As the narrator bellows to “get your hands dirty, but keep them kicks clean,” the story of the advert reflects the messaging and motive behind Brantley’s work, aiming to spread a word of hope and prosperity, all the while keeping true to your identity.

Ten Toes Down is a creation of Kitchen Table New York and directed by Agustin Freire through Light Farm Studios. Light Farm first launched in 2010 in Auckland New Zealand, and now have a global presence, with their largest branch in Rio de Janeiro. The production company’s 3D animation style and roster of talented directors spearheaded the perfect pairing between themselves and Brantley’s visual entertainment company Angry Hero. Slated as the platform to “to tell universal tales with broad appeal across the media landscape through stories that promote empowerment over power,” Angry Hero’s logo character makes her cameo feature at the end of the commercial, saluting to its valiant main character.

Following a brand collaboration with the popular shoe brand, Brantley sat down to explain his characters and their more social and political influence. Stating how “the hoodie represents a place of solace, a place of protection, a place where one can feel safe within their own space,” Brantley draws attention to his signature character who dons a Kermit the Frog hood. Countering the perception of the hood as a threatening aesthetic, the artist attempts to shift the narrative.  As a Black man in America, his experiences as such seep into his artwork. Through the eclectically dressed figures of his pieces, Brantley focusses on Black joy with soft lines and a vibrant colour palette. With such, he artistically combats the adversities that the community has, and continues, to face, with a more optimistic and light-hearted portrayal.

Images courtesy of Light Farm Studios