Visit Iceland Upcycles Lockdown Sweatpants into Hiking Boots

SS+K, The New York based agency that partnered with Promote Iceland encouraging people to scream out their lock down frustrations, launches a new campaign to upcycle your lock down sweatpants into hiking boots.

After more than a year stifled in lock down, Iceland wants you to reawaken your senses with an Icelandic adventure. The first 100 visitors to book a slot at the pop-up shop in Reykjavik and turn up with a valid plane ticket showing their arrival in Iceland from June 24th onwards will have their old, tired sweatpants transformed by hand by Icelandic designer Ýr Jóhannsdóttir, into a pair of bespoke hiking boots, with any remaining fabric becoming the bag in which to carry them home. 

The international campaign is launching today and running in the US, UK, Canada, Germany, Denmark and Sweden. Along with the 90 minute film, there will be a TikTok challenge launched, promoted in Germany but available globally. There will also be a custom Snapchat AR filter that will turn your shoes into Sweatpant boots and it will transport you to different regions of Iceland. 

The campaign launches with a 90 second music video showcasing the sweatpant boots in action in Iceland. The video features an exclusive song performed by Icelandic artist Cell 7 and produced by Ásgeir Orri Ásgeirsson.

Sigríður Dögg Guðmundsdóttir, head of Visit Iceland: “All over the world, we have been under various lock downs and restrictions for over a year and let’s face it, we’re in a bit of a rut. In Iceland, we are lucky enough to have a wealth of adventure, from the bold waterfalls in the south, to the tranquil shores of the East and all the food, music and well being culture across the country. For those ready to travel again, we want to make sure you’re ready to experience life to its fullest and take on whatever adventure you’ve been craving. And some lucky visitors will get to do it with their own unique Sweatpant Boots.”

“Sweatpants are the symbol of how we’ve coped with the pandemic. They are the perfect thing for a year cooped up inside where the biggest adventure is dialing into a video call. Now Iceland is literally turning our comfy sweatpants into the boots we need to get out of our comfort zones and enjoy all the incredible experiences we’ve been missing out on.” said Stevie Archer, executive creative director, SS+K. 

Located on Rainbow Road in downtown Reykjavik, the Sweatpant Boots pop-up shop will be open throughout July offering to upcycle lock down sweatpants into exclusive, limited-edition and one-of-a-kind boots. 

For those that can’t make it to Iceland just yet, the country has created a bespoke website that invites everyone to virtually try-on a pair of Sweatpant Boots and see what adventures await them in each of the seven regions of the country. Bespoke website here.