The North Face’s latest campaign, rolling out in early March, takes viewers on a journey into another dimension – where time and space are of no consequence – fueled by a desire to ‘never stop exploring’.
The campaign, which was developed in harness with agency and production outfit C41 and directed by Leone, celebrates the brand’s long-running, flagship NSE collection and runs across TV, digital and social platforms.
The experimental film style creative features surreal, unchartered landscapes and unknown portals as protagonists wander freely and uncover our own stories in a world where exploration knows no limits.
The work plays with the ideas of opposites – man and woman, night and day, sun and moon – and sees two lead characters embark on their own individual journey before finding one another and continue together on the path. The actors are actually a couple in real life and were cast for their futuristic and complementary aesthetic and chemistry. The idea of opposites is also explored through the inclusion of portals situated across the landscape; symbolic entrances granting access to new adventures, they are also mirrors to reflect on our past experiences.
THE NORTH FACE NSE 2022 | LEONE from C41 on Vimeo.
Shot in otherworldly landscapes of Lanzarote with 3D wireframe scans and mirrors and set to an audio track composed by MassiveMusic Berlin, the campaign was designed as an homage to the brand’s heritage and to focus on the high-tech, futuristic elements of the garments and the materials.
“When I started working on this project, I decided to start from the basics: exploration has no limits, neither of time nor space. So, I wanted to make this concept of ‘Never Stop Exploring’ visible by setting the film in a place that knows no dimension of time or space, where the protagonists are free to explore and discover without barriers,” said C41 Director Leone Balduzzi.
“To emphasize this further, the setting had to be a non-defined space out of this world, with surreal landscapes that remind me of the moon or other planets. By using subtle 3D portals, I wanted to give the ‘Never Stop Exploring’ an extra layer, to give the viewers the idea of landing in another dimension. Connecting to the concept, a fundamental point of the campaign is the idea of the indefinite. Nature is the focus of the film, which has been shot in empty, open fields. This time, it is different from the nature we know, with surreal and indefinite landscapes that seem almost out of this world.”
The team at C41 behind The North Face campaign included Creative Directors L+L, Creative Inga Lavarini, Junior Creative Nicole Salotti, Executive Producer Leone Balduzzi, Producer Beatrice Lebrun and Production Manager Marco Agnesi. Production services were handled by Floater Productions with Director LEONE, DP Karim Andreotti, Photographer Carlo Banfi, Photographer Teo Poggi, Art Buyer Patrizia Gatto, Stylist Aurora Zaltieri, Steadycam Operator Andrea Agnisetta,1st Camera Assistant Gabriele Gregorig, 2nd Camera Assistant Andrea Gabella, Gaffer Francesco Galli, Electrician Mario Castelli, Editor Margherita Freyrie, Colourist Daniel Pallucca and Photo Editor Carlo Banfi.
Comment
The work sees The North Face move away from its recent focus on documentary-style marketing creative and embrace a more digital and contemporary, fictional format.
Leave a comment
You must be logged in to post a comment.