Looks Like Gold, It Is Not

Saying that the way we consume has changed in the last 10 years is hardly breaking news. We have moved from being rational beings to becoming experiential beings. It's not a phone, it's having an Apple. It's not a car, it's about enjoying the drive. It's not about feeding yourself, it's ensuring animals are not mistreated. It's not a belt, it's who I am when I wear it.

Wedge&lever has managed to give a product a reason to exist. They provide something more than what you believe. They have managed to create answers to questions you hadn't even asked yourself, moving you from being a consumer to being a user. They have managed to enter the market with the ability to matter to someone, and that is truly unique.

Art Direction.

For the brand's relaunch, wedge&lever created unique narratives for each of the product categories: Sport, Dress, and Casual. Each of these categories is connected to a fundamental archetype, meaning they share the same communicative structure while adapting the reference character to the needs of the category.

• Sport. Driven by adventure and competition. The reference archetype is Pericles, general of Athens during the Golden Age.
• Dress. Driven by legacy and power. The chosen archetype is Julius Caesar, dictator of the Roman Republic.
• Casual. Driven by rebellion and authenticity. The selected archetype is William Shakespeare, a poetic genius who transcends time and culture.

Key Highlights.

• Monochrome. A black-and-white aesthetic that dominates every look and feel. Thanks to these contrasts, they manage to highlight the straps above all other elements in the scene.
• Provocation. In each of the videos, a phone rings, causing each of the chosen archetypes to awaken. Each call focuses on the existential struggle at the heart of the category. Dress: economy, finance, industry… Man versus nature. Sport: man competes directly with man. Casual: the eternal struggle between man and evolution.
• The Craftsman. He always appears dressed in dark clothing in a fairly dark environment while performing the fabrication of the piece: buckles, cutting the strap, punching the holes.
• Main Objects (VS). In each category, objects appear that represent the relationship between the archetype and the category to which it belongs.
• Fireworks. At the end of each video, the product appears in a quite attractive and striking way. Very original.

#1 – Dress.

Duke MMXV from wedge and lever on Vimeo.

Power, ambition, and sophistication characterize those who have reached the peaks of success. This goal is also achieved through control and domination, whether over nature or simply over oneself. Julius Caesar perfectly represents the category built on power, discipline, and a certain concern for legacy.

Storyboard. The eternal struggle to discover our destiny, to escape the shackles of society, to conquer. The phone rings and awakens the archetype. He breaks free from the restrictions of business contracts and relationships, embodied by tied-up, soulless mannequins. A balloon represents man's desire for conquest. Throughout the video, we appreciate how the archetype grows in consciousness and the influence of a world in progress, symbolized by the paint.

#2 – Sport.

Ward MMXV from wedge and lever on Vimeo.

The human being's struggle against themselves. For this category, they have highlighted the qualities necessary to succeed in sports: balance, strength, flexibility, and determination. Pericles, an Athenian general, hero of the Peloponnesian War, and brilliant statesman.

Storyboard. The warrior becomes an athlete. The archers transform into discus throwers and then tennis players, representing the historical evolution of sport. Awakened by the phone, the model takes the bow and fires his arrow at an apple resting on a mannequin's head, an act that requires precision. The apple being hit symbolizes the fulfillment of his destiny.

#3 – Casual.

Knox MMXV from wedge and lever on Vimeo.

Confident, fresh, and rebellious. It seeks to represent that type of person who, through culture, manages to change thoughts, showing the world that there is more to life than the mundane. The greatest playwright and poet the world has ever known, Shakespeare managed to open countless eyes and hearts to the world of beauty.

Storyboard. Our man awakens thanks to the sound of a chainsaw. He realizes the potential he has within himself and begins a battle against the evil version of himself. The model defeats his other self, and the mannequins are freed. The hero is now free. The bull's skull dripping black paint represents the release of his burden.

Product Photography.

Unique atmosphere and photographs that provide a stark contrast to the general, or to the everyday within the world of belts. The compositions generated create unreal worlds or illusions.

In short, selling belts is one thing; achieving this is something very different.