Youth Culture Never Stops. Neither Does JD With 'Forever Forward'

JD Sports, the leading retailer for youth fashion and sportswear, has launched Forever Forward—a bold call to action celebrating the relentless energy of young people worldwide.

A tribute to the spirit, individuality and momentum of the next generation, Forever Forward is more than a campaign. It’s a cultural reawakening that spans sport, music, fashion and creativity—a rallying cry from one of streetwear’s most recognisable brands. In 2025, JD Sports is backing youth culture as a driving force for change, and their campaign is both a celebration and a challenge: to break boundaries and redefine what’s possible.

This shift is marked by the brand’s newly unveiled creative platform, Energy of Youth—the first of what will be annual thematic directions under the Forever Forward platform. It’s a movement fuelled by resilience, momentum and the boundless power of self-expression.

Michael Weatherston, JD Sports' APAC Marketing Director, said, “At JD, we recognise that culture isn’t created by brands or boardrooms—it’s shaped by young people at ground level.

“This is an evolution of what we have been doing as a business for many years and helps provide a clear filter and lens that will guide our partnerships, talent alignment, product range and all consumer-facing JD elements.

“Forever Forward also marks a reset of our visual language, including a distinct new look and feel of how we present and communicate with our customers.

“Forever Forward continues to progress and position JD through our loyalty to youth by powering the now and next, as a globally known brand with locally grown connection.”

In Australia and New Zealand, the campaign lands with a distinctly local pulse. Western Sydney—a creative melting pot in its own right—is the beating heart of JD’s regional rollout. Here, JD worked with Sydney-based outfit AW Studios to spotlight the community voices shaping culture from the ground up.

At the core of Forever Forward are a series of cinematic vignettes, capturing slices of life across Sydney’s western suburbs—train stations, studio sessions, and candid moments of self-expression. These visuals, created by AW Studios in collaboration with JD’s global team, will be seen in campaign spots around the world.

AW Studios’ Matt Wilson and Aaron Bull said the campaign was “an opportunity to shine a light on the communities that exist here—giving them a space to showcase who they really are.”

“JD is full of incredible people who care about the same things we do—Michael Weatherston and Kate Asamoah leading this campaign, alongside many others—it makes for an easy partnership,” Wilson said.

“We don’t need to spend time explaining why we’re wanting to do certain things or why they make sense—there’s a commonality and shared language we both speak.

“There was a real sense of trust throughout the entire shoot. We’re deeply rooted  in these communities as much as they are ours. They’re friends of ours, we’ve shot music videos with them or grew up in the same areas. Our interests crossover and the things that are important to us interweave. That’s what creates trust. Across the whole production from crew, client and cast it was special. It was clear that everyone felt a responsibility to put Australia forward in the right way, so we all got to work.” 

As part of the campaign’s rollout, JD Sports also touched ground at the Street University’s Mount Druitt Block Party, a grassroots celebration for National Youth Week that showcased some of Western Sydney’s best and brightest young talent. 

Featuring rising talents such as TOAH, Sauteeya, BLUETONGUE, Emerald, and MILEZ 2 DA WORLD alongside stars of the scene FRIDAY* and Planet Vegeta, Street University’s Block Party was a vibrant love letter to community and creativity.  

Street University counsellor Esky Escandor said he was “honoured and grateful to be working alongside JD Sports,” sharing a moment from the day that stuck out to him.

“The young people were in awe of the camera equipment and felt the amount of work that was put behind the campaign, and that they were involved in it,” he said. “[It was] awesome to witness them know that they are a part of something bigger.”

He praised the Forever Forward campaign for ‘letting the community speak for itself.' 

“It was powerful to witness the end product and know that it took real community voices to make that happen,” he said.

Forever Forward continues the long-running thread of JD showing up for streetwear and culture across Australia and New Zealand. Like the artists rocking the stage at the Street University Block Party, JD are staying on the front foot and continuing to challenge convention. 

What emerges is a rebrand that goes beyond a flashy new ad campaign—it’s a cultural reset and a movement fuelled by JD’s loyalty to youth. Championing the next generation through impact.