It’s that time of year again. The weather is simply not giving, seasonal depression is at its height, and February feels like it’s been dragging on for months. Sometimes summer just seems like a distant light at the end of a long tunnel.
Enter Ellesse with their SS23 “Visionaries” campaign, an early slice of summer to keep us going. Set in sunny Portugal against the backdrop of a sky-blue padel court, Ellesse’s campaign is a mixed-gender sportswear collection for the self-confident, team players who are currently craving warmer days.
Featuring five “Visionaries” who each demonstrate the power of collaboration, playful competition, and teamwork – principles ingrained in Ellesse’s ethos – the campaign opens in the format of a retro video game, which the Visionaries then become a part of, entering Ellesse’s world of team sports and good vibes. We then see Ellesse’s Visionaries take to the padel court, each dressed in a pastel-hued array of varsity-style polos, casual t-shirts, mini skirts, and shorts.
Showcasing the collection while interacting through a fast-paced, active storyline, they each demonstrate their distinct individuality through animated shots of the game and scenes of them watching from the sidelines, spilling OJ and peering through binoculars. Ellesse’s diverse team of Visionaries spans multiple fields, cultures, and countries, including creative director, TJ Sawyerr; musician, Levin Liam; roller skater, Ayisha Alli; DJ, Kim Turnball; and gamer, Jasmine Asia.
Each of the five members brings something different to the table, together showcasing the skills and traits it takes to be a part of Ellesse’s Community Club. Although, at the heart of it you just need to be upbeat, active, team-driven and self-confident; so, nothing we’re not all capable of.
Ellesse’s campaign imagery pulls on the nostalgic era of playful competitiveness we’ve all experienced as kids, whether pairing up to beat bosses on video games or smacking a ball across a court, padel or not. This nostalgia-driven aesthetic is reflected in the vibrant collection, sporty with a preppy edge, with each item stamped with Ellesse’s signature “semi-palla” logo.
In celebration of the collection’s release, we’re hosting an exclusive Community Club pop-up with Ellesse which kicks off Paris Fashion Week tonight. Hosted in a venue in Le Marais which has been decked out to look like an IRL padel court, the event features invite-only sneak previews of the collection, followed by a party with not one but five DJs performing.
But whether you’re a ‘Visionary’ or not, Ellesse’s campaign is rated E for Everyone, with an overall message to simply be confident, get out, take part, and #BeBold. Check out the full collection at ellesse.com and ellesse.com.au, dropping tomorrow.
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