CLARKS - NEW NATURE IV

Clarks has today launched a new campaign that shakes up perceptions of the brand as it debuts the radical redesign of its flagship shoe, Nature. The updated design gives the 30-year-old model a new lease of life whilst retaining the same craftsmanship of the much-loved original.
The film follows the journey of the shoe’s transformation, revealing the time-honoured process unique to the shoe manufacturer, as well as its pioneering use of cutting-edge technologies. Using a unique blend of animation and live action, the action-packed film follows the Nature IV shoe on a step-by-step journey through its redesign and rebirth.  

As a heritage brand with roots going back to 1825, it’s sometimes overlooked that Clarks has been at the forefront of technological discoveries but they’ve actually been 3D printing for 20 years now and were pioneers of design trends such as the air-filled rubber role, so it was important for the new film to reflect this. The creative team at Clarks had a strong vision of what they wanted to achieve, so as creative collaborators, our job was to take that idea and translate it into a fully-formed concept and something visually captivating
One of the greatest challenges was building the shoe in animation and doing justice to the product. It was a real treat to visit the Clarks factory and witness first-hand the exclusive hand-crafting technique. The CG team at Absolute Post, our sister company, explored photo-real texturing and lighting to get the materials to accurately reflect the specifically designed elements of the shoe. To best achieve this, we experimented with a combination of Cinema 4D and Maya, harnessing elements of each, such as the interactive capabilities of Cinema 4D and the photo-real capabilities of Maya.

CREDITS
DIRECTOR: RIC COMLINE
PRODUCTION COMPANY: BLINDPIG
PRODUCER: KIRSTY MURRAY LIVE ACTION
DOP: GARETH WARD
3D ARTISTS: JAMES COORE, MATT BURN, CHRISTINA CASTELO BRANCO, STEPHEN (HUGGY) HENRY, AARON MASIH, DAN BAITON & JESSE BABER
2D ARTISTS: OWEN SAWARD & CHRIS TOBIN
C4D ARTISTS: RIC COMLINE, TOM CARDO-MORENO & CHRISTINE PETERS
SOUND DESIGN & MUSIC: JOE WORTERS