Filmmaker Sophie Edelstein was entrusted with full creative control over heritage luggage brand Smythson‘s Fall rebranding. Pack your bags, because she’s about to take you on a ‘Journey to the Wild Side’ with this short film!
Phoebe Tonkin stars in the short film ‘Journey to the Wild Side’ as an almost Alice in Wonderland-type foreigner attempting to navigate her way through the bizarre delights of London. Repeated run-ins with Rhys Ifans only reinforce the Wonderland-esque stereotype, his knowing smile reminiscent of the dubious Cheshire cat. Cue animal actors, whimsical choreography and glimpses of Smythson’s smart leather travel collection; the clever rebranding spans beyond traditional advertising to deliver a raucous, entertaining and at times downright ridiculous short film.
It’s this berserk narrative that charms the viewer and leaves you wanting not only a beautifully chic leather backpack but a desire to lose yourself in the winding backstreets of London. When speaking to Cool Hunting, Sophie Edelstein admitted this was her objective,
I wanted it to be centred around the dream of travel, the romanticism of it, but not in a way you would usually expect. I liked the idea of seeing a London you’d never seen, never even imagined. I also liked the idea of London through a foreigner’s eyes—that she had travelled to London to see these sights but ended up seeing things she’d never imagined, which is the best kind of trip, really.
It’s a genius move to insert a product organically into an advertisement, and that’s probably why the medium of short film works so well in this case. Edelstein swerves away from the usual guerilla marketing techniques, instead paying homage to the timelessness of the heritage brand – essentially, allowing the products to speak for themselves.
It’s certainly interesting that a brand would choose to the medium of short film for such a campaign, particularly in today’s attention-deficit society that seemingly only gains pleasure from minute clips and memes. It’s entirely fathomable that that particular demographic isn’t the target audience for the brand, nevertheless Edelstein’s short film delivers a short and punchy narrative in which even I, FIB’s resident meme queen, was enthralled for the duration.
If you’re anything like me and can’t navigate a map to save your life, ‘Journey on the Wild Side’ will certainly resonate with your own travel experiences.
What are your thoughts on using short films for branding and advertising? What other medium do you think will crop up in the future? Let us know in the comments below.
