青春在召唤 (Youth Is Calling)
View the case- Brand
- Adidas
- Year
- 2021
- Objective
- Engagement
- Industry
- Entertainment
- Mechanic
- Music & Rhythm
- Platform
- In-Game
- Agency
- TBWA\Shanghai
Objective
adidas neo was losing ground with Gen Z shoppers in China after a boycott tied to the Xinjiang cotton controversy, with local sportswear brands eating further into its relevance. Heading into back-to-school season, the brand needed to reconnect with students through something already built into their daily routine — the compulsory school broadcast calisthenics, 广播体操 — and turn that familiarity into store visits and sales.
Solution
Players load up Just Dance China on Nintendo Switch and pick "Youth Is Calling," an original adidas neo track that reworks the classic broadcast-gymnastics count of "1234" as disco-electronic music. Joy-Con in hand, they follow illustrated student characters through custom choreography that turns the familiar morning stretches into a scored dance routine. Away from the console, the same moves carry over to Douyin, where players hold up their phone, mirror the routine through a branded sticker filter, and post their run during the week-long challenge. Players who'd rather do it in person can walk into an adidas neo store, perform two reps of the routine for a staff member, and collect a limited-edition gift on the spot.
Results
In-store traffic rose 8% and sales rose 11% during the campaign.
- 1
Ahead of the game release, adidas neo runs a companion challenge on Douyin (Aug 28–Sep 3, 2021): users film themselves performing the calisthenics-inspired choreography, either freehand or using the branded "Operator of Calisthenics" sticker filter — no console required.
- 2
On Nintendo Switch, players find the exclusive track "Youth Is Calling" inside Just Dance's Chinese release, credited to adidas neo Just Dance and playable solo or with up to six people using Joy-Con motion tracking.
- 3
Each round opens with the traditional school broadcast-exercise cue — "ready, begin!" and a counted "1-2-3-4" — reset over a club/electronic beat, while three animated dancers in school uniforms lead the routine across shifting stadium and classroom backdrops.
- 4
Players mirror the on-screen coaches through a choreography that blends standard calisthenics moves with playful dance flourishes, scoring points for how closely their motions match.
- 5
A session ends with a score screen — including calories burned in "Sweat" mode — and results sync to a leaderboard in the game's companion app.
- 6
Offline, from August 28, 2021, fans can visit a participating adidas neo store, perform two eight-counts of the collaboration choreography for staff, and receive a limited-edition notebook animated with the routine.
