Most of the energy in the market today comes from big, iconic sneaker brands doing limited edition drops and generic collaborations with other established brands or artists. It’s an approach badly in need of a refresh.
Client // Novella
Assignment // Research & Insights, Brand Strategy, Global Advertising Campaign, Photography, Film, Global Messaging and Campaign Toolkit
Designing a footwear company from the ground up.
Sneakers are a 100 billion dollar market worldwide. In recent years, there has been a tidal wave of Instagram DTC starts trying to tap into this burgeoning market. For most, the story has been exactly the same: high craftsmanship at a lower price. Beautiful but boring.
This started to bug us and drove us to find another way. We realized that the formula for these launches was basically all SNEAKER, no BACKSTORY. Which got us wondering, what would happen if we flipped this model? What if we turned a shoe brand into a storyteller? From this, Novella was born.
Novella was born in the depths of the pandemic. Amidst the darkness, we tried to find light. Not just through the creation of our shoes. But through the stories of these uncommon artisans. And all the joy and inspiration they were putting out into the world. At a time when we needed it most.
In recent years, there has been a tidal wave of Instagram DTC starts trying to tap into this burgeoning market. For most, the story has been exactly the same: high craftsmanship at a lower price. Beautiful but boring.
Today, we exist to tell their stories. Each drop, we’ll take a blank canvass and transform it into a beautiful human story. About a barber or poet or comedian or chef. Extraordinary creators who inspire joy through craft. Every detail of the shoe (accents, colors, materials) will be carefully considered to tell their story.
