Like many creatives, 424 founder Guillermo Andrade has continued to draw inspiration from the city that raised him. And his brand’s latest campaign video is no exception.
Earlier this week, 424 released its collaborative capsule with Adidas and Arsenal F.C., offering a range of performance designs including training jerseys, hoodies, panchos, duffle bags, and a new take on the Adidas Ultra Boost. But rather than highlight the range in an expected setting, Andrade returned to his childhood home in Marin County, California, where his appreciation for soccer and community really flourished.
The 424 x Adidas x Arsenal campaign video is an ode to Andrade’s old neighborhood, as it follows young soccer players showing off their skills throughout the community. It includes scenes of a school field, a San Marin car wash, as well as the apartment complex Andrade grew up in.
“That’s my first home in America. That’s where I lived. It’s my apartment building,” he told Complex. “And that parking lot was where I grew up playing soccer. It was a solution and the manager of that building kept me out of trouble. He started taking us to the park to… Because we broke everything in that parking lot. I mean really destroyed it. Cars, alarms were always going off. Often, it was just like beep. And then eventually he just said, ‘Look, I’ll take you guys to the park, but you can’t play here anymore. You just can’t.’”
The move to the local park eventually led to the formation of the Marin Soccer League. Andrade said it initially began with just nine kids and a couple of teams, but quickly expanded to six.
“The league doesn’t exist now, but it turned into the overall league for the county, so it was a catalyst for something very special,” he explained. “And all the kids who were from, basically, the Canal, which is just like whatever little project housing community that they have next to rich people houses. All the good players came from that town, and we all got scholarships and stuff like that, and I was one of those kids that got to get out because of the scholarship. I got to travel. And so, it was a very transformative time for me. It’s very special. I remember it so clearly.”
The capsule’s lookbook features Arsenal stars Willian and Gabriel Magalhaes alongside Alexandre Lacazette. Andrade said he wanted to balance out those images with his campaign video, giving customers “the most raw point of view that I can take on the collection … Like without all these people, that wouldn’t be possible.”
Andrade also touched on the stunning architecture throughout the community, which included designs by the legendary Frank Lloyd Wright. Andrade specifically recalled the Marin County Superior Court building, a place he would frequent during his adolescence.
“It’s one of his most famous buildings. And that’s why I used to get in trouble. I was, ‘God, this place is sick, though.’ But it’s where you go to get sent to jail and shit, like you’re going to go to juvie. You have to go to court,” he said. “The courtroom is like this dome and looks like a UFO. I, low-key, always didn’t really mind going because it was so fresh. I was saying, ‘Damn, this is crazy.’”
He then returned his focus to his old apartment complex, admitting he appreciates its design much more as an adult.
“We’ll go back and look at this apartment building that I always kind of felt … not ashamed, but other people tried to make you feel bad about where you live,” he said. “And to look back and be like, ‘Yo, no wonder I’m so anal about lines and things being framed properly and a sort of balance.’ Because that place is actually really beautiful, and to see it from that lens today, after traveling the world and knowing a little bit more about the world, it’s pretty cool.”
You can check out the campaign video, directed by Andrade’s brother Diego Andrade, above. The 424 x Adidas x Arsenal capsule is available now at Arsenal Direct, 424’s online store, and on the Adidas Confirmed app.
