New Wave case study image

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.

Four women in swimsuits and graphic t-shirts carrying surfboards, laughing together while walking along the Venice Beach boardwalk.

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

Man in a red and white striped apron and paper cap with a name tag reading Bob, pulling a surprised face while holding a large drink cup in front of a burger shop window.
Four women standing outdoors each holding a pineapple with a straw, with a colorful wire name tag twisted around each pineapple, pink umbrellas visible in the background.
Billabong New Wave poster mounted in an orange frame on a teal building wall between two awnings, showing four women posing above a sunset beach scene with surfer silhouettes.
Four women at an outdoor event holding hollowed-out pineapples as drink cups, with animated neon-script name tags looping beside each person.
Six women standing on a beach in swimwear and wetsuits, each next to a colorful Billabong surfboard planted upright in the sand.
Four young women laughing together while sitting on and around a park bench at sunset, one wearing a white Billabong graphic tank top.

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.

Zine-style collage for Billabong's New Wave campaign, showing a magazine cover, four women riding in a convertible through Venice Beach with arms raised, and surfers carrying boards on the sand. Hand-written captions read "Wild at the Beach" and "Surf or Die," with sketched doodles and the Billabong logo scattered across the page.

“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.

 

– Stab Magazine

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