Introduction
Billabong is an icon of surfwear. They’ve been riding the barrels of surf culture for five decades. To launch a new women’s collection, Billabong asked us to create a campaign that both celebrated their heritage and infused a fresh perspective into the brand’s expression.
Campaign strategy
So what did we do? We took Billabong back to the hazy ’80s. Except in this throwback, women played all the lead roles. Featuring Laura Enever, Josie Prendergast, Alessa Quizon and Felicity Palmateer, “New Wave” celebrated the athleticism and attitudes of the modern pro surfer.
“Rather than depicting women as ‘80s style beach bunnies, we updated Billabong’s story for the 21st century. Propelled by a new wave of female empowerment, we showed how women are bold, brave and unbothered by the rules of yesteryear.”
– Elley Norman, Creative Director
Campaign results
But did the campaign create a swell?
–200% increase in Billabong’s YouTube engagement
–300K+ views on Billabong’s owned channels
–200K+ views on athletes’ channels
Oh, and New Wave won ‘Campaign of the Year’ at the SIMA Awards. In short: totally rad.
“I’m a sucker for clever advertising. And while sex will always sell, it’s nice when someone goes the extra mile to dilute lust with creativity. Billabong has done just that with its imaginative, irreverent, and latest marketing campaign – New Wave.
