On March 13, Sojitz GMC held a reception in Roppongi, Tokyo, to celebrate the brand's 100th anniversary, announcing its centennial promotion and collaboration with the rock band The Bawdies. Stylist Keisuke Baba also attended and participated in a talk session with The Bawdies. The brand, founded in England in 1914, celebrates its 100th anniversary this year. Sojitz GMC began selling sneakers in Japan in 2006 and has since sold over 200,000 pairs. Based on the keywords of sound, UK, and fashion, the brand offers "designs that are enjoyable to wear and look at," such as designs featuring pea coat motifs with added windproof and water-repellent properties. The collection also incorporates traditional British materials such as Harris Tweed and Liberty motifs. The collaboration with THE BAWDIES was realized due to Admiral's 100th anniversary, the 10th anniversary of THE BAWDIES' formation, and the overlap between the brand's keywords and the band's image. The original boots will be produced for THE BAWDIES, who were looking for a pair of Beatle boots. A member of THE BAWDIES said, "We want them to have functionality that can be used on stage, such as slip resistance to withstand vigorous movement. We also want to create a design that can be used on the street, and spread (Beetle boots) to the street." The original boots are scheduled to be completed by fall/winter. Baba, who worked on styling the lookbook, said, "I also love the UK, and while many people think casual clothes are fine, I think THE BAWDIES, who wear suits, have a similar way of thinking and direction."

Furthermore, Sojitz GMC President Naoto Hatori said, "This is the ninth year that our company has been involved in the Admiral business. We started from scratch and I think we have reached a certain level in a short period of time. Going forward, we would like to place the highest priority on quality rather than quantitative expansion. We would like to develop products close to the consumer, and we would like to value communication with customers not only in stores but also online, including on social media such as Facebook, where we have over 15,000 fans, and appeal to both brand fans and those who are unfamiliar with the brand. Furthermore, in December last year, we announced that we had obtained trademark rights in North Asia, including for apparel, bags, and accessories. Spreading Japanese footwear throughout Asia is both challenging and exciting, and is a major theme of our 100th anniversary. We are currently in the process of selecting partners in each country, and by the end of the year we will have established action plans and targets for each region, and will begin operations in Taiwan and South Korea, before expanding to China, Hong Kong, and Macau."

In addition to this event, Admiral plans to launch various initiatives over the course of this anniversary year, including collaborations, festival sponsorship, music-related support, and strengthening its efforts to attract female customers, in order to increase brand awareness.