Tommy Hilfiger’s spring campaign has arrived

February 14, 2013

By Jill Adams

Photography courtesy of Dan Lecca

Video courtesy of Tommy Hilfiger

All aboard! Tommy Hilfiger recently launched its spring campaign, which takes the Hilfigers — the beloved, all-American family at the heart of the brand’s marketing strategy — out on the high seas. It also includes the brand’s first webisode.

Le vöyãge seafãr-iüs, the multimedia campaign which began globally on Jan. 28, includes digital, print, outdoor and social media elements. The webisode, set to British singer Estelle’s Do My Thing, marks a move toward digital marketing for the brand, with investments in the digital space more than doubling since fall 2012.

The webisode “uniquely celebrates the brand’s classic, American, cool heritage,” says Avery Baker, chief marketing officer for the Tommy Hilfiger Group. She adds that it captures the brand’s “long history of infusing an unexpected twist to preppy tradition.”

Now in its sixth season, the Hilfiger campaign personifies “the irreverent spirit of the … brand.” It captures the group of eclectic characters’ quirky take on iconic American tradition, as they set sail on a new adventure.

“There’s no better setting to highlight the nautical inspiration, [the] red, white and blue colour palette, and [the] heritage prep details of the Spring 2013 Runways Collections,” says Tommy Hilfiger. Consistent in the collection are bold prints, the use of colour blocking and a whole lot of stripes. The line features a number of pantsuits, separates, bathing suits and short and long spring dresses.

“Classic nautical influences were some of the earliest inspirations I incorporated into my designs,” explains Hilfiger. “So this campaign is very exciting for me.”

Creatively directed by Trey Laird, the campaign was photographed in Sag Harbor, New York by Craig McDean, with hair by Eugene Souleiman and make-up by Mark Carrasquillo.

From sheltered islands to grand banks, the Hilfigers take their adventure to a whole new level this spring. Outdoor campaigns will also run in select U.S. and key European cities, including Amsterdam, Brussels and Zurich.

Styled by Karl Templer, the campaign features a cast with many characters from past campaigns, including Jacquelyn Jablonski, Max Rogers, Bernard Fouquet and Chloe Blackshire. But the family also includes a number of new additions, such as Sacha M’Baye, Tidiou M’Baye, Tian Yi and Viggo Jonasson.

The preppy, luxury retailer turns its attention to fans and followers on Twitter — “What’s your thing for 2013?” Use the hashtag #doyourthing to respond with your answer.