Uniqlo’s fashion has a purpose – clothes that make like better. The new Droga5 2017 global campaign articulates that purpose in its brand promise, Because of Life, We Made LifeWear.
The campaign of three commercials, Wireless Bra, AIRism, and Distressed Denim, is the first work by Droga5 London for the brand.
The films answer the question posed by Droga5 New York’s 2016 campaign, Why do we Get Dressed?, and each aims to explain to its audience the thinking behind Uniqlo’s deceptively simple clothes in its own way.
Wireless Bra is the standout spot. Its message, that women move in all sorts of weird and wonderful ways (and need bras that support that), is threaded into a quirky dance video, choreographed by Ryan Heffington (who also choreographed Sia’s videos), was styled by much awarded costume designer, Nancy Steiner, and is set to a song called Ants – by Starcrawler, an unsigned band fronted by Arrow de Wilde. Its tagline encourages women to “move like you’re not supposed to”.
The second ad, AIRism, is very different. The moody black & white film, shot in the streets of Santiago by Somesuch director, Nick Gordon, articulates the reason for Uniqlo’s high-tech innerwear made from breathable materials. “Shouldn’t our clothes breathe with us?,” it asks.
Distressed Denim, set to music like Wireless Bra and shot by Nick Gordon like AIRism, follows the story format of fashion advertising- of a chance romantic encounter at a remote gas station.
“The new UNIQLO campaign is a great example of how exceptional storytelling dimensionalises the technology-led benefits of our LifeWear apparel,” stated John C Jay, President, global creative, Fast Retailing.
“The Droga5 London team’s creativity lifts the rational reason to an emotional answer.”
David Kolbusz, chief creative officer at Droga5 London said “Uniqlo make some of the best clothes I put on my body. Everything they do is dedicated to improving what they sell. Every iteration of every garment is a step up from the last. What we’ve tried to do here is take the rational reasons you buy their clothes and articulate them in the abstract.”
The campaign will run in the US, Europe, Asia and Australia. The ads, which will also run online, will run in 60, 30 and 15 second cut-downs and will be supported by a print campaign.
Credits:
Creative Agency: Droga5 London
Chief Creative Officer: David Kolbusz
Executive Creative Directors: Steven Howell & Rick Dodds
Creative Director: Devon Hong
Copywriter: Ulrika Karlberg
Account Director: Michelle Villarreal, Alex Dousie
Group Account Director: Rebecca Lewis
Producer: Chris Watling, Peter Montgomery
Strategy Director: James Broomfield
Production Company: Somesuch
Directors: Autumn De Wilde & Nick Gordon
Producers: James Waters & Chris Harrison
DoPs: Chris Blauvelt & Evan Prosofsky
Stylists: Nancy Steiner 7 Lyson Marchessault
Choreographer: Ryan Heffington
Sound Design: Will Cohen @ String And Tins
Editing: Darren Baldwin & Dan Sherwen @Final Cut
Post Production VFX: MPC
Producer: Sophie Hogg
Colourist: Houmam Abdallah, Richard Fearon
2nd Artist: Bruno Fukumothi
