Leading creative adaptation for Adidas' global campaigns in Korea
Adidas Korea – National & Global Campaigns (2019–2021)
From 2019 to 2021, I worked as the in-house Art Director for Adidas Korea, where I led creative strategy and visual development across a wide range of domestic and global campaigns. My role involved adapting global brand guidelines to resonate with Korean audiences while preserving visual consistency and pushing creative innovation. Over two years, I supported more than 10 major campaign launches, seasonal retail drops, ambassador-driven content, and collaborative capsule collections. One of the most defining projects was the MADE HERE campaign, which reinterpreted global messaging through the lens of Korean youth and athletic culture.
Role
- Led art direction for all major local and regional campaigns in Korea
- Localized global visual systems while preserving brand integrity
- Directed campaign concepting, moodboarding, and execution for ATL/BTL channels (OOH, digital, retail, e-commerce)
- Worked closely with the global brand team to interpret master guidelines for local markets
- Managed rollout timelines and provided creative oversight for external vendors and in-house design teams
- Collaborated with stylists, producers, athletes, photographers, and internal marketers to ensure high-impact content delivery
- Developed reusable templates, production systems, and scalable frameworks for faster, consistent execution across teams
- Localized global visual systems while preserving brand integrity
- Directed campaign concepting, moodboarding, and execution for ATL/BTL channels (OOH, digital, retail, e-commerce)
- Worked closely with the global brand team to interpret master guidelines for local markets
- Managed rollout timelines and provided creative oversight for external vendors and in-house design teams
- Collaborated with stylists, producers, athletes, photographers, and internal marketers to ensure high-impact content delivery
- Developed reusable templates, production systems, and scalable frameworks for faster, consistent execution across teams
Challenge
- Align global brand campaigns with Korean cultural touch points in a way that felt both authentic and aspirational
- Adapt creative assets for Korea’s highly digital and mobile-centric media landscape
- Respond quickly to seasonal launches and time-sensitive product drops under strict global timelines
- Maintain emotional relevance for Gen Z audiences who seek individuality and cultural identity
- Adapt creative assets for Korea’s highly digital and mobile-centric media landscape
- Respond quickly to seasonal launches and time-sensitive product drops under strict global timelines
- Maintain emotional relevance for Gen Z audiences who seek individuality and cultural identity
Creative Approach
- Reframed global narratives with localized storytelling, tapping into cultural cues and athlete-led inspiration
- Led the ‘MADE HERE’ campaign with swimmer Kim SeoYoung, designing key visuals and campaign messaging focused on the theme of "personal beginnings"
- Developed templates and toolkits to allow faster execution across teams while maintaining design quality
- Integrated trend-driven design direction and digital-first thinking to resonate with Korea’s Gen Z
- Led the ‘MADE HERE’ campaign with swimmer Kim SeoYoung, designing key visuals and campaign messaging focused on the theme of "personal beginnings"
- Developed templates and toolkits to allow faster execution across teams while maintaining design quality
- Integrated trend-driven design direction and digital-first thinking to resonate with Korea’s Gen Z
나의 모든 시작 means "The Beginning of Everything for Me"
Outcome
- Strengthened Adidas’ brand voice in Korea through campaigns that felt both globally aligned and locally resonant
- Increased social engagement and campaign participation through culturally attuned messaging
- MADE HERE and other locally-driven assets were later repurposed by regional APAC teams
- Contributed to Adidas Korea’s creative team maturity by standardizing workflow, mentoring junior designers, and building a replicable design system for future launches
- Increased social engagement and campaign participation through culturally attuned messaging
- MADE HERE and other locally-driven assets were later repurposed by regional APAC teams
- Contributed to Adidas Korea’s creative team maturity by standardizing workflow, mentoring junior designers, and building a replicable design system for future launches
Adidas Korea Global Campaign MADE HERE "나의 모든 시작"
Digital Campaign
Adidas Korea
Digital Campaign
Adidas Korea
Task scope: Digital Global Campaign
Partial scope: Creative Direction
Sub task: Creative Direction, Graphic Design, Performance Marketing
Category: Sports
Date of completion: 2020
Partial scope: Creative Direction
Sub task: Creative Direction, Graphic Design, Performance Marketing
Category: Sports
Date of completion: 2020
My Role: Graphic Design, Type Design
