Jaden Smith and Coco Gauff Channel the Path of Success for Dynamic New Balance Spot

December 2021 was a challenging month for Robot to say the least. With three international productions shooting in the same week while entering the 2nd wave of Covid-19 in South Africa, Robot caught itself adapting and surviving what it needed to in order to keep things going. Along with Familia, between Cape Town, Miami and LA, this production has finally launched, reminding Robot that it can carve its path in the midst of this virus.

The campaign 'Impatience Is A Virtue' starring Jaden Smith and Coco Gauff, crafted by VMLY&R’s creative directors Justine Cotter and Rai Halim channel’s the current generation’s sense of urgency for progress and positive change which have been hallmarks of the New Balance brand. NB describes the approach as "a twist on the old adage that Gen Z Has heard all their lives. But this generation isn't waiting around for someone to give them the keys to entry. Instead, they're figuring out the path to success for themselves."

Director, Sasha said: "All the personalities that feature in the film are stubborn in their pursuit for meaningful change. What was important was to communicate their sense of urgency, but also that they might not take conventional routes to success. We bookended the film with Jaden Smith, highlighting his mission to take clean water to the masses with his organisation 501C Three, his personal mission being an important one given that its uniqueness compared to more conventional ideas of success. Jaden’s sense of impatience is a common trait amongst New Balance’s roster of talent, and is also representative of young millenials so it was important to feature a variety of interpretations of 'impatience', whether that be a female sprinter lining up with the boys or a street dancer in Beijing anxious to upload her routine to D’ouyin. These types of inviting campaigns don’t come around often, so it’s been a great experience and challenge collaborating with an understanding agency team who despite crafting a global campaign were confined to their New York Apartments, and a great team of collaborators who brilliantly ensured a consistency of look and aesthetic across all of the different countries and cities in which we filmed."

Producer, Toby said: "Producing work globally has been something FAMILIA has done from its inception. The shoot took place in LA, Miami and Cape Town. All the while Covid was in full swing, a large amount of additional measures were put in place to ensure a safe and successful shoot. Including remote shooting for both the LA and Miami legs of the shoot.

Sasha the director and Ollie the photographer did an incredible job of navigating the unique working practices of remote shooting. FAMILIA is continuing to find interesting ways to navigate the challenges of remote working."

Photographer, Ollie Ali said: "It was an honour to shoot this campaign and to work alongside the extremely talented director, and my good friend, Sasha. Together we had the pleasure of capturing incredible moments with some of the most impressive talent of this generation for an iconic brand. We came to the challenge with an end goal in mind: inspiring young talent to pursue their dreams and waste no time in doing so. Shooting remotely from across the globe created an element of challenge and a fantastic opportunity to work with more diverse teams in order to bring our ambitious visions to life. I am really excited to see the campaign go live and hope that we have been able to achieve our goal of inspiring the next generation to get out and pursue their dreams - the same risk that took me to this very moment. 

Special thank you to VMLY&R, Familia and New Balance for the opportunity."