KARAN RAIKAR
Karan (definitely not to be confused with Karen) is a copywriter based in New York, currently at Johannes Leonardo.
SELECTED PROJECTS
adidas Originals — SS25, The Original (2025)
adidas Originals — SS24, A Thousand Back (2024)
adidas Basketball — Anthony Edwards 1 (2024)
Beats by Dre — King of the Court (2022)
Kaiser Permanente — Everyday Holds A Win (2022)
Beats by Dre — Fit to Move (2022)
adidas Basketball — The Drive, D.O.N. Issue #5 (2023)
Beats by Dre — Fatherhood (2022)
NBA — That’s Game (2021)
Beats by Dre — It’s The Music (2022)
Big 12 Conference — The Countdown (2023)
The Sahi Bol Project (2019)
HOW TO SAY THE NAME
KARAN kuh-RUN
RAIKAR riker (like the prison)
THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW
Former professional cook.🔪
Not-so-speedy cyclist. 🚴🏽♂️
Bidet evangelist. 🚽
Immigrant son. 👶🏽
Boston born. 🇺🇸
Bombay raised. 🇮🇳
Brooklyn based.🗽
JOBS
JOHANNES LEONARDO — May 2023 - Present
Senior Copywriter
TRANSLATION LLC — Dec 2020 - May 2023
Copywriter
DEUTSCH LA — Oct 2020 - Dec 2020
Freelance Copywriter
EP+CO — Jun 2019 - Aug 2019
Copy Intern
LEO BURNETT — Jan 2017 - Jan 2018
Jr Copywriter
SELECTED CLIENTS
adidas Basketball
adidas Originals
Instagram
NBA
Beats by Dre
Kaiser Permanente
L’Oreal
Big 12 Conference
©2025, Karan Raikar
For SS25, we celebrated the one before the thousand —
The Original.
The ones who put their entire selves out there for the world to see, who understand that the easiest thing to be, is to be yourself.
Expand 01_Brand Campaign_2025
In FW23, we explored the rich history of adidas Originals — how we gave the world an Original, and they gave us a thousand back.
For SS24, we explored exactly that — the stories and people that make Original...well, Original.
Expand 02_Brand Campaign_2024
Ant’s unique brand of confidence and self-belief is out of the ordinary, to say the least, but it’s powerful and unwavering. He believes in himself so much that it makes you want to believe, too.
And he’s going far — you best Believe That.
Expand 03_Launch Campaign_2024
Press:
SPORTS ILLUSTRATED
ADAGE
Awards:
BRONZE - CANNES LIONS
The Chosen One versus the Chosen Son. Papa Bron versus Baby Bronny. Smooth, balletic classical versus brash, punchy rap. Now check ball.
Expand 04_Brand Campaign_2022
Press:
COMPLEX
HYPEBEAST
BOARDROOM
Klay Thompson’s been through a lot - not one, but two career-ending injuries. And he’s been gone for a while - 941 days, to be precise.
Expand 05_Brand Campaign_2022
Awards:
BRONZE, CLIO SPORTS
When you hear that track in the club, your body takes over. You can’t help but bob your head to the beat.
And when you’ve got a pair of Beats on that won’t go anywhere, you move how you want.
Expand 06_Product Launch_2022
Press:
ADWEEK
COMPLEX
HIPHOP DX
ROLLING STONE
To launch Donovan Mitchell’s fifth shoe with adidas Basketball — the D.O.N. Issue #5, we dug into what keeps him going — his Why.
Expand 07_Launch Campaign_2023
We’ve seen the different looks of LeBron over the years – the superstar athlete, the leader, the champion. But we’ve never seen him as a father.
Expand 08_Brand Film_2022
Press:
ADWEEK
THE SOURCE
Dunking on your boy in the hallway. Balling up your socks and yelling “Kobe!” as you throw ‘em into the hamper. Laying out your jersey on your bed the night before the game. Staying up late with your mom to watch Tim Duncan win a ring.
All that? That’s Game.
Expand 09_Brand Campaign_2021
Press:
MUSE BY CLIO
ADAGE
COMPLEX
Awards:
BRONZE - CLIO SPORTS
Beats’ Studio Buds are packed with features. But let’s be real — the features aren’t what take you back to your hometown, or to the street you kissed your crush, or to the stoop you used to hang on with your boys.
It’s the Music.
Expand 10_Launch Campaign_2021
The Big 12 Conference is a landmark within American collegiate sports. But as they move into a new sporting landscape, they needed a film that helped launch them in a fresh way, while also reminding audiences of their storied heritage.
Expand 11_Brand Campaign_2023
Press:
ADAGE
This project was born out of my desire to take back Indian cuisine from the grips of redundant phrases that dilute diaspora culture. Case in point: CHAI TEA. You’re literally saying tea-tea.
Expand 12_Personal Project_2020
©2025, Karan Raikar