In a tribute to the 50 year heritage of arguably the most iconic name in the streetwear scene, Vans has unleashed its most recent visual campaign that marries several artistic methods to highlight significant, “Off the Wall” moments throughout the brand’s illustrious existence.
It’s gargantuan global footprint as the original action sports footwear and apparel brand has sent massive shock waves to youth cultures across the world since its humble beginnings as the Van Doren Rubber Company in 1966 at Anaheim, Calif. Back then, the company manufactured deck shoes on its premises and sold them directly to the public. Vans’ rugged make-up and rubber sole made them the perfect companion for skateboarding and they were quickly adopted by the rising subculture. This ignited the start of many “Off The Wall” memories in action sports, art, music and fashion over the next 50 years, rendering a simple pair of canvas shoes into a platform for creative expression around the world.
With today signifying the brand’s 50th anniversary, the spirit and tale of Vans will today be beautifully retold through the global launch of The Story of Vans.
“The Story of Vans exemplifies the milestones that have made Vans the unique brand it is today and the inventive composition of the campaign allows us to bring those moments to life through an interactive experience at the House of Vans worldwide,” said Kevin Bailey, Vans and VF Action Sports President.
The Story of Vans blends diverse animation methods to create one distinctive visual treatment in a campaign that illustrates the brand’s origins in action sports, art, music and street culture. Directed by Reza Resoli from Pet Gorilla, the campaign utilises forced perspective drawings, traditional cell animation, paper cut outs and timeless Vans footwear, which are all stop motion animated in an intricately choreographed celebration of the brand.
The visual experience, made up of a series of five short stories, is brought to life via French artists Mrzyk & Moriceau’s whimsical black and white illustrations and a soundtrack produced by music house Beta Petrol, who brought together different musical collaborators ranging from Tortoise’s John Herndon to Wayne Kramer from the MC5.
Each short story is narrated by a renowned individual and long-time Vans enthusiast, including professional skateboarder and historian of the sport Jeff Grosso who voiced the leading story, and iconic skateboarding legend Tony Alva that recalled his own history with Vans in the action sports short.
Artist and musician Ray Barbee, Chuck D of Public Enemy and fashion icon and actress Chloe Sevigny lend their vocals for the art, music and fashion shorts, respectively.
From New York to London to Hong Kong, the culmination of The Story of Vans campaign and Vans’ 50-year legacy will come to life at 10 House of Vans locations across the globe starting tonight.
Each House of Vans event will include D.I.Y workshops, shoe personalization, a retrospective look at Vans’ history and curated musical performances from the likes of Nas, Dinosaur Jr, Wu-Tang Clan, The Kills, Erykah Badu, Jamie xx, Dizzee Rascal, Yeasayer, Shlohmo and more. Vans skateboarding legends and professional athletes will also be in attendance for skate demos and signings.
Salivating in anticipation yet? Head on over to www.houseofvans.com to get in on the action and learn more about the experience! Do check up on www.vans.com to watch The Story of Vans and share your own Vans story using #since66.
Watch The Story of Vans in under two minutes down below:
The young boy version of Robin Williams’ character Alan is the scion of a footwear factory owner, whose facility provided for their town during its prime. A worker at his dad’s factory showed Alan this Nike basketball shoe and claimed, “If I can get Wilt Chamberlain to wear them, I predict there will be a pair of these in every closet in America.”