Rip Curl Built Project
About
The brief was to create a campaign that would showcase the brand in a unique way in the surf industry, speaking back to the beliefs and brand DNA. The key mission was to focus on the Rip Curl’s message to ‘Live the Search’ and build a campaign that would encapsulate that idea.
Our concept was to explore the potential of Rip Curl’s wave icon and build a strong visual brand language, which could be applied to all key areas of the company. We found that by transforming the icon into a form that reflected its surroundings it could visualise the message in a unique and appealing way.
Creative Direction
Ross Dickson & David Schaerf
Artwork & Illustration
Ross Dickson & David Schaerf
The brand is core to the concept. By using the Rip Curl icon as the central and consistent feature this allows a clear connection to the brand. Where the built concept is so beneficial though, is its ability to portray key parts of the brand in a unique way. The core values of Rip Curl can be explored to various degrees having a strong relationship with Rip Curl’s key message of ‘Live the Search.’ The idea of fantasy/future lineups really plays of the tagline and gives a really unique approach that has not yet been explored by Rip Curl nor anyone else in the surf industry.
The marketing side to this concept has huge potential, with this being the source to how far the idea can be driven. Starting from product tie-ins like apparel, accessories, technical, catalogue, Built could then range from magazine layouts, to in-store P.O.P, framed wall series, store sculptures, to large-scale event features. There is also the whole digital world now, with the web being a key tool for growing an idea. This being the most likely place to home the Built concept, linking all products back via such things as swing tags and QR codes. The site could feature short movies like the ‘making of’ or products it’s linked to.
The future potential options could link sponsors to the brand by featuring their product as/within a built concept. For example building a mechanical icon linking it to Ford by using the parts of its cars.
An artist series is another way this could be pushed, and the success of such an idea can be seen by how well Absolut have grown there brand by using artists to explore the different approaches to the shape of their bottle. This could be achieved through freelancing exceptional artists to work with and give their take on the icon, or opening it up through competitions to the general public. This could range from digital 2D and 3D formats, to real life sculptures
Product Based Icon
A literal built representation of the icon, ranging from interesting and irreverent to a distinct material relating back to the brand and the core Rip Curl DNA. Using materials like ice, fire, sand, wood, etc some creative and unique sculptures and imagery.
Marketing Potential
The Built icon could live and breath through catalogues representing each product category and become an installation piece at events. An art gallery of all the built icons and stories could refresh the RC retail stores. Artist’s collaborations could be instigated. Initiatives like “Submit your best built Icon and you win…” could help generate hype around the icon.
OTHER / FUTURE OPPERTUNITIES
Fantasy Line-ups
A photo-shopped image of a fantasy/future line-up shot, playing on the core Rip Curl message of ‘Live the Search.’ This could range from line-up shots in any climate and time period. The built icon part of this series would have a far more subtle approach, where it should sit into within an image without looking too far-fetched. Aimed to be a fun irreverent approach to ‘Live the Search
Marketing Potential
The marketing potential for this is enormous. No brand in the surf market has touched on anything remotely close to this idea, giving first marketing advantage to RipCurl. The uniqueness of the idea of creating future/fantasy line-up/breaks offers an extraordinarily fresh campaign and new way of shooting surf imagery. The imagery allows for a playful and interesting format that breaks away from the conventional one, giving a real talking point to that of the viewer and general public.
Future Opportunities
This concept could be applied to the mountainside of Rip Curl with a whole Ice Age campaign. Having cities snowed over and snowboarders/skiers riding these new terrains could be one possibility. The other option would be, running the exact same setting as the surf scenes but covered in snow like an ice age. This could be an interesting global/seasonal approach to the built idea.
Artist Series
Aligning Rip Curl’s key athletes with personalised icons offers great possibilities to grown the athlete while keeping the focus on the brand as apposed to sub-branding.
Marketing Potential
Documenting the process of the art icons could turn into web clips and POP material. Everything evolves around the icon so the photos or the movies are branding in itself. Be it an artist collaboration or competition, the scope to engage new audiences in a way that centers around the brand and its core values, is extremely exciting.
Future Opportunities
The Artist Series bring an opportunity to engage the art world with new and creative approaches to the icon. In house, or external artists could execute this. The key to this concept is to have unique and creative takes on the shape of the wave icon, highlighting the artist’s style. This idea could be expanded into student/artist competitions with gallery and in store displays, to original artist collaboration
