How we transformed a football shirt reveal into a celebration of Belgian culture.
For most brands, generating media attention is the challenge. For adidas, it was the opposite.
The new Belgium Red Devils away kit was already one of the most anticipated football releases of the year. Inspired by the surrealist world of René Magritte, the design immediately sparked conversation, while leaked images circulating on football forums had only fuelled the anticipation ahead of the official launch. News coverage was inevitable. Fans would debate it. Social media would amplify it.
But headlines disappear fast. The real challenge was to move beyond the product launch and create something with lasting cultural relevance. Rather than simply unveiling a new football shirt, adidas wanted to turn the moment into a celebration of Belgitude itself, bringing together football, art, fashion and creativity in a way that felt authentically Belgian.
So how could we transform a kit launch into a cultural moment that would live far beyond the first headlines?
Belgians may not always agree on much, but they share a deep pride in the people and icons that put Belgium on the map.
The strongest expressions of Belgitude happen when cultural heritage meets contemporary creativity. By combining René Magritte and the Red Devils, the launch had the potential to transcend football and become a moment of national pride for all Belgians.
If the new away kit brought together two Belgian icons, the launch should do the same. So we turned the launch into a celebration of Belgian excellence.
Inspired by the connection between René Magritte and the Red Devils, we created an experience that united the communities shaping Belgian culture today. Football, art, fashion, music and creativity came together under one roof, transforming a product reveal into a cultural gathering.
Amplified through a targeted earned media strategy, the launch became more than a moment for football fans, it became a moment for Belgium.
The The campaign kicked off with a coordinated earned media launch targeting news, sports, lifestyle, TV, radio and social-first outlets across Belgium. Given the confidential nature of the launch, no embargoed outreach or pre-briefings took place. Instead, all media received the announcement simultaneously, creating a genuine breaking-news moment around the official unveiling. The bilingual press release was distributed in sync with adidas’ global launch in Los Angeles and supported by official imagery of the Red Devils wearing the new away kit.
Later that day, the focus shifted from media to community. To bring the idea of Belgian excellence to life, adidas hosted an immersive launch To bring the idea of Belgian excellence to life, adidas hosted an immersive launch event at MAD Brussels, the city’s institute for fashion and design. Located at the heart of Brussels’ creative scene, the venue provided the perfect setting to celebrate Belgian excellence past and present: from René Magritte to today’s generation of athletes, artists and creators.
Together with production partner Studio27, we transformed the space into a contemporary Belgian dreamscape inspired by Magritte’s surrealist universe. Football, art and community collided through a bespoke scenography featuring playful visual interventions, unexpected details and subtle distortions of reality.
Creators, artists, athletes, media and cultural tastemakers gathered under one roof, while performances by Tawsen, DJ sets from Zoey Hasselbank and Young Fresh, a panna showcase by Martijn Debbaut and personalised jersey pick-ups kept the space alive throughout the evening.
As the night evolved from cultural gathering into celebration, the boundaries between football, art and creativity gradually disappeared. More than a launch event, it became a living expression of Belgitude itself: playful, creative and impossible to pin down.
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