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

EMAIL
INSTAGRAM
LINKEDIN

©2025, Karan Raikar

01 ADIDAS ORIGINALS — SS25, THE ORIGINAL

THE ORIGINAL :60



AGENCY: Johannes Leonardo
DIRECTOR: Thibaut Grevet
PHOTOGRAPHER: Thibaut Grevet
EDITOR: Tom Hohle, Kao Cheng Kai
COLORIST: Dante Pasquinelli
ECDs: Jeph Burton, Hunter Hampton
CDs: Zack Browne, Grace Martin
SR AD: Kevin Lu
SR CW: Yours TrulyBEFORE THERE CAN BE A THOUSAND, THERE’S THE ORIGINAL.

The one who knows nothing else, but to be themselves. 
The one who you can’t help but stop and stare at. 
The one who inspires us all to embrace the Original within us. 

SS25’s campaign deconstructs a simple moment that’s unfolded on dance floors everywhere — where all the noise fades away, where you’re free to be who you are, and move through the world the way you want. 

Much like the Original, our series of bespoke short-form films highlighted how these iconic silhouettes remain in a league of their own—Superstar, Samba, HB Spezial and the Firebird jacket. 

SUPERSTAR :15




SAMBA :15




SPEZIAL :15




©2024, Karan Raikar

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