10 November saw Oakley launch the latest Australian iteration in its ongoing ‘Be Who You Are’ video series with professional surfer and brand ambassador Ethan Ewing. The digital-first campaign is built around a short film tracking Ewing’s journey from a humble upbringing on Queensland’s North Stradbroke Island to reaching the elite of the World Surf League (WSL).
This campaign – which champions humble beginning, hard work and an absence of ego – launched ahead of the Aussie summer season and rolled out not long after 24-year-old Ewing captured his first tour event win at Jeffery’s Bay in South Africa and finished in fourth place overall in the 2022 WSL CT season.
Despite the recent success, the intimate portrait video sees Ewing speaks about how some detractors in the surfing world initially labelled him ‘the next big thing’, before rapidly changing their minds saying he’d ‘never make it back’ to the top off the sport when his early performances didn’t go as expected.
Ewing shows pride in his origins and credits his late mother Helen (herself a champion surfer in the 1970s and 80s who won the iconic Bells Beach Bell in 1983) as a key source of his inspiration and drive. He also salutes his father Bill who helped his son hone his craft and character on the beaches of North Stradbroke Island after his mother passed away.
It also showcases how he allows his surfing to do the talking, what brings him happiness, how he spends his downtime and his hopes for the upcoming 2023 season and beyond.
The creative features Ewing wearing Oakley’s new surf-inspired Hydra sunglasses throughout: positioned as a ‘Razor Blades-inspired, semi-rimless sunglass with a shield lens – a new style is reminiscent of Oakley’s ‘90s surf heritage’.
The film was amplified across the brand’s social and digital channels – primarily in Australia and New Zealand – from 9 November.
“It has been a special journey working with Oakley to tell my story of who I truly am and why I surf. I want to inspire the next generation of Australian groms,” commented Ewing. “It doesn’t matter who you are, or where you are from – if you put the time in the water and believe in yourself, you can achieve anything you set your mind to.”
Oakley’s Global Brand Director Caio Amato added: “Following Ethan’s journey from his first year on the CT in 2017, to his first CT win in 2022 has been a huge source of inspiration to us. We are humbled by the opportunity to tell Ethan’s truth, as he really embodies the ‘Be Who You Are’ message. We will be just watching and enjoying all that Ethan is about to accomplish, after all, his achievements are just as big as his dreams.”
The campaign was produced by Aether Film with Director Andrew Mackenzie, DOP Aiden Ulrich and cinematographers Jacob Vanderwork, Cole Yamane, Bill Ewing and Daren Crawford. The producers were Taylor Steele, Enich Harris, Michael Schwab, Davis DiLillo and Kyle Bullington. The Heavy Lift Pilot was Davis DiLillo, the Aerial DP Brian Wulf, the FPV Pilot Blake Same and the Editors were Liam Tangum, Pat Hall and Jack Craymer. Sound design was by Roman Richard and colour by Dylan Hageman.
The communications agency was Always Human with CEO Josh White, Senior Communications Manager Caitlin Hopkins and Senior PR Account Executive: Maddison Maguire.
Comment
This campaign blends the intimate and the epic and follows in the footsteps of previous films in the ‘Be Who You Are’ series including April 2022’s Mark Cavendish fronted bike collection spot, January 2022’s Winter Olympic focused film, January 2022 creative featuring Kylian Mbappe, a 2021 video with fellow surfer Julian Wilson and May 2021’s ‘Focused’ ad with Lamar Jackson.
Oakley is a sponsor of the WSL and unveiled its tie-up inn 2021 with an ‘Official Eyewear’ campaign.
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