As Cultural Strategist for Hong Kong based independent creative agency Constant, I had the chance to produce a worldwide campaign for New Balance.
The Solarised campaign brings together acclaimed contemporary artist Patrick Martinez and Mr. Lau, a Hong Kong craftsman with more than 50 years of experience to his name, having created some of Hong Kong’s most iconic neon signs.
The story sets off in LA where we are introduced to Patrick’s inspiration on the streets of LA: Whittier Boulevard with numerous pawn shops and bars neon signs are at the root of his art. We journey with Patrick as he gets on a plane to Hong Kong, where he’s instantly immersed in a culture that feels distant yet so familiar to him. His meeting with Mr. Lau, an ambassador of what he describes as ‘a dying craft’, is both inspiring and emotional.
In addition to selecting the two protagonists of the story, as the producer, I was responsible for putting together a team to make this project happen. I chose my friend Tom Gould as the filmmaker. Tom Gould is a world renown filmmaker from New Zealand and is currently based in New York. He has directed videos for the likes of Action Bronson, Joey Badass and is the director of photography of Vice TV series F*uck That’s Delicious.
The campaign was well received and has been covered by Marketing Interactive and Hypebeast.