Adidas – The Original Impossible

Max Malkin started his career as a director of photography, cutting his teeth on some of the most iconic music videos of all time for artists including Eminem, The Dead Weather, Beck, Red Hot Chili Peppers, R.E.M., and The Beastie Boys. He brings his unique aesthetic to the world of commercials and feature films, working with prolific directors such as Jonathan Glazer, Michel Gondry, Jim Sheridan, and David O. Russell.

As a director, Max’s distinct visual aesthetic has received the attention of some of the world’s best-known global brands, having directed numerous campaigns for the likes of Nike, Beats, Jim Beam, Volvo, Coca-Cola, Adidas, Toyota, Samsung, T-Mobile, NBA 2K, Blue Moon, Mercedes, and Apple.

“One in a Billion”, Adidas’ first-ever ad for China, was highly acclaimed for championing creativity and individuality in sports. It took home Silver at the Clio Awards for Fashion: Film. His work on the Nike “Unlimited” Olympics campaign similarly generated incredible buzz across social media channels. It was recognized with the esteemed Gold Film Lion at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity and was honored for Advertising Excellence/Campaign at the AICP Awards, among others.

Max’s work behind the camera has earned him many prestigious honors, including several for Nike’s “Frozen Moment” spot featuring Michael Jordan. Ad Age praised his spot for Apple’s “Dear Apple, noting “Max did such a phenomenal job of capturing the real people, while drawing out their stories in a truly cinematic way”.  His boundary-pushing spot for the NFL “Take It To The House, Kid” received two Cannes Lions as well as four Sports Emmys. His spot for Nike’s “The Original Impossible” premiered before the 2023 NFL Super Bowl and turned out to be the breakout commercial of the year, winning Ad Age’s Film/TV/Video of the Year and Gold at Clio Sports.