“F50 MADE ME DO IT…”
THE BRIEF
Develop a campaign for the launch of the adidas F50 ELITE FG football boot, showcasing how its speed-focused design transforms players into more confident, fearless and daring versions of themselves, hence “F50 MADE ME DO IT”, while driving both online hype and product sales across retail and digital channels.
Featuring football icons and well known influencers, the campaign should showcase the F50’s speed-focused performance in a way that feels entertaining, culturally relevant and built for social audiences, ultimately driving stronger consumer desire and increasing product sales both online and in-store.
THE APPROACH
With that in mind, The Berry partnered with Small World to create a fast-paced, entertainment-led campaign built around the lightning-fast identity of the new adidas F50 boots. To bring the concept to life, football stars Bruno Guimarães and Amad Diallo were paired with football creator personalities S1mon_g and Lewis Bowden, chosen for their humour, huge football fanbases and strong connection to club supporter culture. Together, the campaign delivered a dynamic series of energetic, social-first films powered by speed-driven visual effects and playful storytelling.
A NEED FOR SPEED
Every creative in the campaign revolved around speed, but always with a playful twist. From self-passing football skills to a haircut done in record time, a last-minute anniversary dinner rescue, and even the frantic clean-up of a changing room, each film found tongue-in-cheek ways to showcase the speed and spirit of the F50s. The result was a fast-paced series of moments that captured attention online and celebrated speed in unexpected places.
SHOOTING THE PLAYERS
Bruno Guimarães and Amad Diallo were filmed first, with the focus on capturing their individual VFX-driven hero moments. Each player was then shot separately on greenscreen for the influencer films, allowing their performances to be seamlessly composited into the supporter content, creating the impression they were right there alongside the influencers. Care was taken to inject some fun into the narratives while letting each player’s personality shine through.
BRINGING IN THE INFLUENCERS
The influencers were carefully curated with their audiences in mind, ensuring the content felt authentic and engaging. It was not just about reach, it was about real fandom. Simon_g, a devoted Manchester United supporter, was paired with his hero Amad Diallo, while Lewis Bowden, a passionate Newcastle fan, was matched with Bruno Guimarães. By aligning players with loyal supporters, the campaign tapped into genuine fan passion, creating content that resonated naturally within each influencer’s community.
THE RESPONSE
Launched across TikTok, Instagram and YouTube, the campaign surpassed millions of organic views, with content spreading rapidly across Instagram and TikTok in particular. Engagement was overwhelmingly positive, with fans and followers not only celebrating the creative but also commenting that the videos alone had convinced them to buy their very own pair of F50 boots.
SHORT BACK AND A.I. PLEASE
A mix of AI techniques and traditional Photoshop was used to create a playful series of Bruno Guimarães haircut images, which appeared as framed artworks within the barbershop set design. The team had fun parodying iconic hairstyles from Newcastle legends of the past, alongside a few lighthearted creations purely for laughs.
VISUAL EFFECTS
To bring a true sense of speed to life, a wide range of visual effects techniques were combined, some surprisingly simple but highly effective. For Bruno’s self-pass, a straightforward cloning approach was used: filming him kicking the ball, then again receiving it, before stitching the takes together. On set, large polyboards were used to waft objects and create practical gusts of wind. In post, stylised smear effects were composited onto sped-up footage to heighten motion, while traditional in-camera tricks such as long shutter shooting captured natural, exaggerated motion blur.
