The gaming community lived in an ever-expanding universe of its own long before Mark Zuckerberg thought he’d discovered the metaverse and so-called cosplay and live action role play (LARP) are now a big part of it. Fantasy books and TV are all the rage too, of course.
Lifestyle clothing brand Eastpak is once again mining gaming with global ad campaign ‘Built to Resist’ from indie agency Mutant, celebrating “defiance against the dull reality of the mundane.”
Global marketing director Pete Winkworth says: “At Eastpak, we side with those who don’t accept the status quo; at their core they are people who inspire and embrace change, celebrate the beauty of self-expression, and are eager to explore the world around them. The Cosplay and LARP communities fit perfectly within that and with Built to Resist 24, we wanted stay true to their ethos.”
Odin Saillé, founder and chief creative at Mutant, says: “Eastpak has always been a brand that encourages transformation. Who didn’t customize their bag with markers, safety pins, Tipp-Ex and patches? There’s a beautiful parallel between that ritual and what these cosplayers do. With every new addition to their wardrobe, they unveil a new aspect of their identity. There’s this beautiful saying by George R.R. Martin that says: ‘a reader lives a thousand lives before he dies.’ Well, I think cosplay is the second best option to reach that goal if you’re not into books.”
Clever to use this for clothing, there are far too many mini-Nikes around. Does it make enough enough of the clothing – or is that the kind of boring thing some clients would say?
MAA creative scale: 7.5.
