Dr. Martens – Liberty Collaboration
THE CHALLENGE: As part of Liberty of London’s year-long ‘National Treasures’ initiative, the collaboration with Dr. Martens saw two of Britain’s greatest and most beloved institutions come together to create a unique product collection. ODD were challenged to create a campaign that celebrated Dr. Marten’s innate subcultural positioning while being respectful to Liberty’s classic and distinct brand character. The concept had to flex across advertising, retail and digital – bringing global exposure to the collection.
OUR APPROACH: Both brands stand for quality and craft but at the heart of this collaboration is an emerging discord. Liberty London brings to mind nature, beauty and a refined intricacy, at odds with the tough and rebellious ethos of Dr. Martens. However, the partnership with Dr. Martens is entirely natural – hence the ‘Wild Nature’ theme that runs through the campaign, which saw Liberty’s flora and fauna disrupted by more urban elements.
OUR SOLUTION: The creative concept lived and died in its execution. Working with Andy Hillman, a regular collaborator with Tim Walker and still life photographer Leandro Farina, painstaking attention to detail was taken throughout the creative process.
As well as a press campaign that ran across leading fashion and lifestyle titles, we created a retail scheme that took pride of place in Liberty’s windows and a pop-up boutique inside the store. The campaign was also rolled out globally across DM’s own stores, in windows and POS.
THE RESULTS: The collaboration launched in June 2012 and has thus far proved a huge success, with the collection selling out in-store and the installation being extended a fortnight beyond the original 4 week slot.
This collaboration brings together two beloved institutions.
Both brands stand for quality and craft but at the heart of this collaboration is an emerging discord.
