Australian boot brand Blundstone launches first global platform ‘Well Worn’ via Thinkerbell
Blundstones have been an iconic Australian boot for over 150 years – understated, versatile and adopted by people from every walk of life. And while a pair of Blundstones look great straight out of the box, it’s after they’ve been worn in that their unique character starts to show. Blundstones has launched its first global campaign developed by Thinkerbell called ‘Well Worn’.
To celebrate its global community of loyalists who’ve made the brand what it is today, the WELL WORN platform highlights a group of diverse Blundstone wearers, telling the stories of what they’ve achieved in their boots and the ingrained worth that every step has brought to them.
Featuring authentic trailblazers from five countries, the work was shot by Hotel Bell and directed by Michael Mouritz, alongside a brand film and design world that launches the new WELL WORN platform to over 30 countries around the world.
Says Nik Jackson, chief brand officer, Blundstone: “The Well Worn platform perfectly captures the bond people develop with their Blundstone boots. The more you wear them, the more they reflect the life you live, and they only get better over time.”
Says Tom Wenborn, chief creative tinker, Thinkerbell: “There’s a universal commonality to Blundstones, they’re worn by interesting people who do interesting things, the world over. Whether you’re in Portugal, South Korea, Canada, Italy or Australia, it’s how you wear these boots that defines them, and you in turn. Well Worn, just like the boots, is a simple platform that anyone, anywhere, can pull on.”
The work will launch to global markets across digital, online, OOH, print and social from September.
Creative agency: Thinkerbell
Client: Blundstone
Production: Hotel Bell
Director: Michael Mouritz
28 Comments
but mid execution and art direction
Testimonials are a well-trodden path. It would have been great to bring a fresh twist to the way these were executed—something that stands out from the usual.
Hate to hate but this looks like a case study in what happens when you bring production in house
People who do stuff wear shoes. Got it.
Bored. Bored, bored, bored, bored, bored.
Of why agencies should stick to creative and not production.
This is a really honest piece of work, and has great scope as a global platform.
someone has copy pasted a line from the director’s treatment
Perhaps too many. Hats off to the writers, but the platform line gets lost because of the great lines that come before it.
“Wear them in, to do your best to wear them out.”
“I’m not saying these boots will change your life, but your life will change these boots.”
“How will you wear yours?”
“Well worn”
It becomes a string of headlines, instead of a story.
Can we have our brand platform back please?
the actor looks the part, but that’s a pretty shit hammy delivery…
Agree with somewhat @Well done is saying. The platform is good and big enough for a global brand. It’ll allow for interpretation in different countries. But, unfortunately the launch films are somewhat plain. It’s not honest, it’s another testimony from someone, which we’ve seen a thousand times before.
This is a great example of a simple but effective campaign, creating a personal, emotional connection between the product and the customer.
So much inhouse garbage lately
One of those brands with oodles of potential, held back by a marketing team unable or unwilling to commit to creative that brings anything new to the table.
I thought as an industry we finally gave up on content series about ten years ago.
As someone with a pair of Blundstones by the front door, I think the brand film is strong. The bloke has an understated confidence that feels right for this brand.
are like people that cut their own bangs, calling themselves hairstylists.
The main spot isn’t what is in question here, it’s the series of testimonials. These could’ve been something different and newer. If at all needed.
An iconic brand like Blundstone deserves far better than this poorly crafted wallpaper.
with the boot tongue on the special build OOH? Looks fake AF.
Buy a two bit content team who own some cameras and mics and stuff. Rebrand them with the word bell. Bang, you’re now a production company. Seamless.
bought blundstones13 years ago. best work boots i ever had. bought a pair this year and they are destroying my feet. what happened?? they are now made in china is what happened. they sold out to the chinese. they sold their sole to the devil. pun intended
I just wanted to touch on a couple of things. First off, the work itself is solid. It might not be groundbreaking in terms of creativity, but for a content piece and the technical side of production, it’s definitely executed solidly. So, labelling it as “two-bit” doesn’t seem quite fair.
Secondly, as for the boots, this platform isn’t the right place to dive into manufacturing concerns, where they were made, or how they’re affecting your feet. It’s one thing to critique the quality of a product, but attributing the decline to a specific country in a derogatory way reinforces harmful stereotypes. If you want to share your thoughts, you might want to try a platform like X.
And yes, while this space can sometimes feel a bit harsh, it’s important to remember that harshness and racism are two very different things.
I’m not involved with the agency, client or anybody involved but I do know that people who make this work read these comments. Let’s all try and think about that before posting a comment hey?
Just terrible…
The kind of cost cutting that is evident in this production is inevitable for a brand that moved their production to China. Don’t buy Blundstones if you want to support Aussie manufacturing… Buy Rossi or RMs
Blundies have always been about getting on with it. There’s a salt of the earth vibe about them. My old man wears them because “I can’t be fucked with zips and laces”.
So of course my ears glaze over when we have yet another “poetic” ad of someone walking and talking in some soul searching way.
They’re boots, they’re Blundies, just get on with it.
I think they’re actually Blunnies.
I liked these spots. The hero spot was a little overwritten but I think the casting works. The testimonials felt genuine. Look, I’m biased because I just bought a pair of 600s and I’m loving them. At 45 they remind me of being a kid in the country and pulling on my boots before going outside to get up to trouble, pushing over trees or using my grandmother’s old 7 iron to paint the side of the shed with fresh cow pats. Now I have that exact feeling every morning before coming to work. Nostalgia and laziness, and not at all precious works for me