- Background & Context

Brand collaborations have always focused on partnering with musicians, artists, or other iconic brands. But when it came to Dubai, we wanted to represent the people of the city. A community that has called Dubai home for over four decades, made up of over fifty nationalities.

So choosing to collaborate with yet another artist representing these people just wasn't going to cut it. We needed to find a name to partner with that represented their history in the UAE, their way of life, and gave them a sense of home despite being far away from where they all originally come from.

- Creative Challenge

So far, brands have attempted to build relevancy with the people of Dubai through massive takeovers, impressive stunts and larger than life stunts.

These however have only pandered to furthering Dubai's perception of being only about the glitz and the glamour.

None of them had successfully connected with those that have called Dubai home for generations.

Our key challenge was find a way to appeal to, represent and celebrate the Dubai community that is in fact made up of over fifty nationalities.

- Solution

As our objective was to create a collaboration that represented and celebrated the city of Dubai, we chose to go in the opposite direction of what the world is accustomed to seeing from this city.

We wanted to show the world a different, more authentic side of Dubai. Away from the glitz and glamour. The side of the city that belongs to people who have called it home for generations, even before the record-breaking skyline existed.

So, instead of following the rule book of brand collaborations that recommends partnering with upcoming artists or influential personalities to appeal to different communities, we turned one of the oldest and most iconic adidas sneakers into a celebration of the one place in Dubai that holds a special place in the heart of every resident. A small culinary gem, hidden away in the oldest part of the city - Ravi.

Instead of partnering with artists or musicians that represented this diverse community, we collaborated with the one place that has been their sense of home for 42 years. A little restaurant called Ravi.

- Execution

We turned this four-decade-old local Dubai restaurant into a global pop culture phenomenon by redesigning the iconic adidas Superstar sneakers to create the SUPERSTAR RAVI’s.

The first-ever sneaker by the brand dedicated to a restaurant. Because this local street food favourite was so much more. It was the identity of the people who've grown up enjoying the food. It's been the place that gathered people from all ethnicities or economic backgrounds and gave them a reason to come together despite their differences. United by the flavours that they all share a common love for.