Europe and the US are emerging from lockdowns and M&C Saatchi and SS+K in partnership with Peel Iceland have jumped on the opportunity to getpandemic-weary people off the couch, out of socks and out of sweatpants and into adventuring again.
The campaign, Looks Like You Need an Adventure, for Visit Iceland follows from M&C Saatchi’s Looks Like You Need To Let It Out, which the agency ran with Promote Iceland at the height of the pandemic.
The uplifting rap encourages people to upcycle their lockdown sweatpants into hiking boots. The first 100 visitors to book a slot at the pop-up shop in Reykjavik, Iceland, and turn up with a valid plane ticket showing their arrival in Iceland from June 24 onwards will have their old, tired sweatpants transformed by hand by Icelandic designer, Ýr Jóhannsdóttir, into a pair of customised hiking boots, with any remaining fabric becoming the bag in which to carry them home. The Sweatpant Boots pop-up shop will be open throughout July offering to upcycle lockdown sweatpants into exclusive, limited-edition one-of-a-kind boots.
The video features an exclusive song performed by Icelandic artist, Cell 7, and produced by Ásgeir Orri Ásgeirsson. The international campaign is running in the US, UK, Canada, Germany, Denmark and Sweden. Supporting the campaign film is a TikTok challenge, promoted in Germany but available globally. There will also be a custom Snapchat AR filter that will turn your shoes into Sweatpants Boots and transport users to different regions of Iceland.
Camila Gurgel, senior creative at M&C Saatchi London, commented, “Iceland is everything we’ve been craving in the past year. And sweatpants are a symbol of lockdown life, sameness and boredom – all the things we want to leave behind when we can travel again. So we found a way to celebrate this breakout moment by turning sweatpants into the ultimate symbol of exploration and discovery: hiking boots. The campaign is a simple and fun way to invite people to finally come to this wonderful country and enjoy their much-missed freedom.
“My creative partner, Ieva Paulina, and I recorded a version of the Sweatpant Boots song to help sell the idea, and our client was immediately on board (despite our doubtful vocals). We then worked with the Icelandic artists Cell 7 to create the final version of the track. On paper, the idea of Sweatpant Boots is simple. But to actually create a pair of boots made out of sweatpants was quite a journey, and we had a lot of fun with it.”
Sigríður Dögg Guðmundsdóttir, head of Visit Iceland, added, “All over the world, we have been under various lock downs and restrictions for over a year and let’s face it, we’re in a bit of a rut. In Iceland, we are lucky enough to have a wealth of adventure, from the bold waterfalls in the south, to the tranquil shores of the East and all the food, music and wellbeing culture across the country. For those ready to travel again, we want to make sure you’re ready to experience life to its fullest and take on whatever adventure you’ve been craving. And some lucky visitors will get to do it with their own unique Sweatpant Boots.”
“Sweatpants are the symbol of how we’ve coped with the pandemic. They are the perfect thing for a year cooped up inside where the biggest adventure is dialing into a video call. Now Iceland is literally turning our comfy sweatpants into the boots we need to get out of our comfort zones and enjoy all the incredible experiences we’ve been missing out on,” commented Stevie Archer, executive creative director, SS+K.
For those that can’t make it to Iceland just yet, the country has created a website that invites everyone to virtually try-on a pair of Sweatpant Boots and see what adventures await them in each of the seven regions of the country.
Credits
Creative Agency: SS+K
Co-founder & Partner, Co-Chairman M&C Saatchi US: Lenny Stern
Executive Creative Director: Stevie Archer
Creative Director: Daniel Bremmer
Assistant Creative Director – Art Director: Monica Apodaca
Managing Director, Production + Operations: John Swartz
Account Director: José Salgado
Account Executive: Erica Moore
Senior Strategist: Elena Claro
Producer: Halley Hopkins
Managing Director, Strategy: Kevin Skobac
Managing Director, Head of Client Services: Amy Frisch
Icelandic Partner Agency: Peel Iceland
Managing Directors: Magnús Magnússon & Egill Thordarson
Designer: Einar Guðmundsson
Animator: Steinþór Jenni Sigurðsson
Creative Agency: M&C Saatchi London
Senior Creatives: Camila Gurgel & Ieva Paulina
Public Relations & Communications Lead: M&C Saatchi TALK
Chief Executive Officer: Jane Boardman
Director: Sophie Hayes
Senior Associate Director: Lauren Hunt-Morgan
Account Director: Rachel Arnold
Account Manager: Maia Quinn
US Public Relations: M&C Saatchi Sport and Entertainment North America
Chief Executive Officer: Steph Lund
President: Andrea Nirsimloo
Executive Vice President: Aarti Parekh
Senior Account Executive: Frankie Petts
Account Executive: Hillary Asher
Assistant Account Executive: Asli Aybar
Production Company: SKOT Productions
Director: Guðný Rós Þórhallsdóttir
Producer: Arnþrúður Dögg Sigurðardóttir
Producer: Eiður Birgisson
Assistant Director: Siggi Kjartan
Director of Photography: Óttar Guðnason
Editor: Sighvatur Ómar Kristinsson
Post-Production: Trickshot
Colourist: Bjarki Guðjónsson
Sound Design: Nick Cathcart-Jones
Germany Public Relations: Headspace PR
Director: Alexander Bohlinger
Senior Account Manager: Christian Hölling –
Nordics Public Relations: Essencius A/S
Managing Partner, Strategy & Issues: Christina Schärfe Lambach
Managing Partner, Project Management: Maria Gamarra
Communications Consultants: Sofie Lockhart & Olof Ehrs
Digital Development: Avista Digital
Developers: Thorvaldur Sveinsson & David Halldorsson
Artist: Inspired By Iceland, Cell7 (Ragna Kjartansdóttir)
Song & Production: Asgeir Orri Asgeirsson
Lyrics: Cell7, Asgeir Orri Asgeirsson, Stevie Archer, Daniel Bremmer, Monica Apodoca, Camila Gurgel & Ieva Paulina
Master split: Asgeir Orri Asgeirsson
Publishing: Asgeir Orri Asgeirsson & Ragna Kjartansdóttir
