Kathmandu inspires people to ‘get out there and stay out there’ in new campaign via Special NZ
Leading outdoor brand, Kathmandu, has today launched its new campaign ‘Summer Never Sleeps’, in partnership with Special New Zealand.
Summer Never Sleeps highlights summer as a time for spontaneity, inspiring people to venture somewhere new, dive into the unexpected and maximise every opportunity to live their best summer yet, not only during the day but at night too.
Kathmandu knows that people get out there in summer – for festivals, day trips, hikes, swims, and everything in between – but Summer Never Sleeps encourages them to stay out there, with a jampacked summer story that suggests no time to rest the head.
Produced by Special and Scoundrel, the Summer Never Sleeps film forms the foundation of the creative campaign, following a group of friends on their quirky summer adventure from night to day, and into night again.
To the soundtrack of Jimmy, Renda-Se, by Brazilian composer, Tom Zé, the friends roast marshmallows, bike off trail, snoop a merman portrait painting, swim fully clothed, dance, march, and row through the night, all while sporting Kathmandu’s range of purpose-designed, technically advanced, outdoor gear.
Says Eva Barrett, chief customer officer, Kathmandu: “As the Number 1 outdoor brand in New Zealand and Australia we play a meaningful role in summer and we’re on a mission to get as many people ‘out there’ in nature as possible. Why? Because we know how the outdoors makes us feel. The outdoors is transformative. When we spend time out there our stress goes down, our empathy goes up and we become more creative and feel happier… And that’s at any time, not just when the sun is up.
“We’re thrilled to have continued our work with Special New Zealand who helps us tell our story innovatively, creatively and passionately.
Says Lisa Fedyszyn, executive creative director, Special New Zealand: “Kathmandu is an adventurous brand and one that stands out, not just in its category, but in everything it does. The Summer Never Sleeps campaign encourages and facilitates everyone to fit in as much as they can over summer because it’s most rewarding when you make the most of being out there and staying out there.”
Summer Never Sleeps builds on Kathmandu’s brand platform – ‘We’re Out There’ – inspiring a new generation to feel the benefits of being outside, and ties into Kathmandu’s purpose to improve the wellbeing of the world through the outdoors.
Kathmandu’s Summer Never Sleeps campaign will roll out across TV, digital, social, out of home and PR in New Zealand and Australia from Monday 26 September to Saturday 19 November 2022.
The campaign launches in line with Kathmandu’s Spring/Summer ‘23 collection: a range spanning apparel and gear for men, women and kids, to help people experience the best of summer this year. The range is available in-store and online now (www.kathmandu.co.nz).
Brand: Kathmandu
Chief Customer Officer: Eva Barrett
Head of Global Brand Campaigns: Michaela Clark
Head of Marketing AU/NZ: Richard Dalke
Global Head of Social Media: Shailyn Shah
Creative Manager: Glenn Gibbins
Creative Agency: Special Group New Zealand
Chief Creative Officer: Tony Bradbourne
Executive Creative Director: Lisa Fedyszyn
Executive Creative Director: Jonathan McMahon
Creative Director: David Shirley
Associate Creative Director: Letizia Bozzolini
Associate Creative Director: Justin Butler
Associate Creative Director: Julia Ferrier
Head of Production: Sally Lankshear
Senior Producer: Casey King
Producer: Millie Costley-Deakin
General Manager: John Marshall
Senior Business Director: Amelia Hopkinson
Business Director: Kate Syms
Business Manager: Ruby Koia
Chief Strategy Officer: Rory Gallery
Group Strategy Director: Ed Gunn
Strategy Director: Jolene D’Souza
Production Company: Scoundrel
Director: Daniel Warwick
Executive: Producer – Adrian Shapiro
Associate Executive Producer: Morgan Benson-Taylor
Line Producer: Luka Jauh
DOP: Jan David Gunther
Production Designer: Lara Stefancic
Offline Editor: Adam Wills
Illustration: Laurie Herman
VFX and Online: bEpic
Facilitation: BAS productions
Soundmix: Kraatz Studios
Music Supervisor: Karyn Rachtman / Mind Your Music
Media Agency: Dentsu
PR Agency: Edelman
Social Agency: We Are Social
25 Comments
Cool. Please share the script for this, I’d love to see how they managed to sell this to the client. I can’t even imagine how you’d describe it.
@jnr. I’m writing the script in my head right now bro and can see exactly how brilliantly it would’ve played out. Dave Shirley take a bow,
This is sick
This is honestly so great. One of my favourite ads of the year. Nice one!
“In this film we see a diverse group of aspirational young friends, wearing Kathmandu, and singing joyfully in the great outdoors as they enjoy the Kathmandu lifestyle and make the most of Summer thanks to Kathmandu.”
Then get the kookiest directors to treat on it.
@jnr calm down bro, your ineptness is showing.
And I love it.
Very good. Nice
This is absolutely brilliant, super cool, super different and the track is inspired. Well done all.
There’s an art to giving the client everything they want and then getting a director to make it great.
I thought the new Wes Anderson movie wasn’t out until next year? Love it.
Poor version of this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mEB1C59hCvs
Cool ad. It’ll go straight over the head of real consumers. WTF is going on?!
Special have the best in-house ‘comments’ team…
Cool Director. Visually arresting. But what’s the message?
It’s great to see a Director bringing a lot, and adding real value to a script. Congrats Daniel Warwick.
They do exist.
@someonehadtosay Not any sort of version of Nike’s Londoner by any stretch of the imagination at all. Why on earth even post it?
We’re out there. “Oh here’s an in idea, let’s just make it whack!” Yeah, this approach works on an urban cool brand like my Vans, but for an outdoor technical geek like me? Nah! This a strategic miss. By a mile.
and yet, I like it.
This is the definition of fresh. And. What. A. Track. Did Director bring the music direction, or agency? So brave. So brilliant. Gonna go watch it a few more times.
But if you want it to work then the branding needs to be way better. Like prominent, super early on and constantly throughout. As good as this is you’d be surprised how few people will watch it till the end.
Do this and this ad will be ridiculously effective.
Also how good are special right now? Nice work.
It’s weird AF but I absolutely love it – and no, i’m in no way associated with this work.
Cool music video like feel . Trippy!
“But if you want it to work then the branding needs to be way better. Like prominent, super early on and constantly throughout.”
^^^ You shush now. Ta.