adidas NEXT

KEY PROBLEM & insights

Consumers’ mind is changing. How about businesses?

The consuming interest of the younger generation has been changing quickly. Young audiences do not just want to buy more clothes but also want the opportunity to create unique pieces, upcycle from their own wardrobes and resell rather than discard. Young people are starting to embrace upcycling and DIY culture alongside the pandemic. 

On the other hand, the shift of businesses is slower. Most businesses are still designed based on the linear model, which encourages “take-make-waste”. As a result, consumers are exposed to a flood of advertisements and social media posts that prompt them to buy more.

That gap staggers sustainably-minded consumers, nipping the chances of their “circular” consuming behaviour by the lack of knowledge or accessibility to such action as well as the pressure for consumption. Consequently, sustainable values are not the key drivers of our purchases yet.

SOLUTION

adidas NEXT : Replacing "new" with "next"

Our service, adidas NEXT, is an innovative learning service that allows consumers to renew their product's life by repurposing it by themselves. It supports all conscious consumers with pathways and means to extend the use and life of their products.

Our service consists of three aspects: recognise, repurpose and share.

First, adidas NEXT encourages consumers to recognise the alternative ways at the product's end-of-use and, thereby, contribute to sustainable futures. When consumers come across a product they are not likely to wear anymore, they can find alternatives instead of discarding them. The adidas NEXT app recognises the product and provides the users with multiple upcycling recipes to transform the product.

Second, the users can repurpose the adidas products based on the users' choice of a recipe by following the step-by-step instructions. Also, adidas Next strives to be inclusive by providing multiple formats of instructions and tool kits for any adidas consumers who do not have the essential tools in their household. The toolkit utilises deadstock material and is created through partnerships with regenerated tool suppliers.

Lastly, the users share the outcomes through social networks. By sharing, the consumers can feel empowered and inspired to try other new repurposing recipes in the future and inspire other conscious consumers.

THEORY OF CHANGE AND VALUE PROPOSITION

adidas NEXT allows consumers to rethink their purchasing habits and form new mindful behaviours by recognizing the environmental values and personal needs.

Through adidas NEXT, we foresee a change in the way consumers interact and form relationships with brands. Consumers will be inspired and empowered to take more creative and conscientious approaches after the point of purchase. By tapping into the creative energies of a new generation, adidas can build a new kind of customer relationship with greater long term value.

Our long-term vision is that every single adidas product on the market can be upcycled and repurposed into something new, thereby extending the product’s life and use. We give rise to a future where sustainable values drive the fashion industry through consumer participation.