Championing rebellious self-expression in ‘Tough as You’

Our Work 6 Feb 2020

vikibell

Dr. Martens’ rebellious past and rich heritage of diversity continues to influence and empower generations of Doc wearers; particularly, Gen Z.

For Dr. Martens wearers, putting on their Docs is an empowering state of mind which makes them feel they can overcome anything life throws at them. But, looking back over the past sixty years, what it means to be ‘tough’ has changed dramatically.

To help the brand channel this mindset for its SS20 campaign, our team – with production from We Are Social Studios and Director Taz Tron Delix – decided to draw on this insight and explore what tough really means to Dr. Martens fans around the world – asking ‘what is toughness in 2020’?

The campaign, continuing the Tough As You messaging from AW19, launches globally today with a one-minute hero film featuring four contributors, who each have their own meaning of toughness and embody the Dr. Martens spirit.



Throughout the filming process, our team used creative art direction and lighting techniques to create a striking yellow colour palette, synonymous with the Dr. Martens brand. In the series of films, yellow is used to define the here and now, separating it from the black and white and heightening the powerful moments in the contributors’ stories.

Over the coming weeks, the full-length film will be followed by individual films featuring each of the contributors – grime punk musician Bob Vylan, body-positive activist Lotte Van Eijk, rock band Naked Giants, and model Avie Acosta; as well as photography and interviews across social media, digital display and out-of-home advertising, globally.



For more on the details on the project, check out the full write up in Ads of Brands.