Steinlager Pure celebrates champion NZ diver William Trubridge in new campaign via DDB NZ
Steinlager Pure has launched a sponsorship of an incredible 15 time world record holding New Zealander – William Trubridge – with a moving national ad campaign via DDB New Zealand.
Trubridge is a world champion free diver based in the Bahamas, who pushes himself to extreme limits of physical and mental endurance and holds the current world record for an unassisted free dive.
Says Shane Bradnick, executive creative director, DDB NZ: “‘Keep it Pure’ reflects how New Zealand’s isolated location provides Kiwis with a unique perspective on life, one that is fresh, independent, original. It also embodies the mindset of a challenger with an uncompromising hunger for excellence.
“With no fins, no tank, no weights, nothing but his own body and mind, William goes to places no human has ever been, pushing the boundaries of what’s humanly possible and defying the odds. We couldn’t have found a more perfect candidate for this campaign than William; he’s a Kiwi hero just as determined to be the best.
“The result is evident in this stunning piece of work as we follow him free-diving into the deepest blue hole in the world – Dean’s Blue Hole in Long Island, Bahamas.”
In 2011 – operating on a set of lungs that have been intensely trained to hold 8.1 litres of air (average is around 6 litres) – in 2010 he set the current world record of 101 metres.
While fellow record-breaking Kiwi Sir Edmund Hillary conquered the top of the world, William Trubridge dives to its dark depths, in the pure pursuit of excellence.
Says Trubridge: “The appeal of free diving is how different it is to any other sport. The fact we’re completely immersed in liquid; a single breath, the weightlessness, the absence of sounds, the dullness of the colours…everything is subtracted.”
At 100 metres deep, there’s no longer light, sound or gravity as we know it – everything is stripped away, leaving just the diver and his mental strength, stamina and resilience.
Michael Taylor from Steinlager, finds symmetry between Trubridge’s poetry for his sport and the simplicity of Steinlager Pure, which contains only four New Zealand sourced ingredients – water, barley, hops and yeast.
Says Taylor: “The way William describes his sport underlines the parallels in his pursuit for purity with our own Steinlager Pure. No extraneous ingredients, just absolute simplicity at its best, from the world’s purest place. And, like William, Steinlager is uncompromising in its quest to be the best lager in the world.
“We’re excited to get behind Will as he continually trains and challenges himself in his sport. He’s an amazing New Zealander doing outstanding things on a world stage – he epitomizes the indomitable Kiwi spirit, and we are excited about giving William the recognition he deserves by encouraging the support of the nation.”
Though he has a global reputation for his free diving success (a Google search shows 213,000 hits), William Trubridge is relatively unknown in his home country of New Zealand.
Later this year the journey will continue with DDB helping Steinlager broadcast Trubridge’s attempt at the free dive world record at Dean’s Blue Hole. Steinlager believes doing this will not only capture New Zealand’s attention, where he is relatively unknown, but also firmly place him on the world stage.
Says Bradnick: “Like Steinlager, William Trubridge was born to defy. And at DDB we are very happy to help them both stake their claim.”
Agency DDB NZ
Executive Creative Director – Shane Bradnick
Creative Director – Chris Schofield
Senior Art Director – James Conner
Copywriter – Christie Cooper
Copywriter – Guy Dennisten
Group Account Director – Scott Wallace
Senior Account Manager – Jonathan Rea
Head of Planning – Lucinda Sherborne
Planning Director – Rupert Price
Agency Executive Producer – Judy Thompson
Agency Producer – Rosie Grayson
Client:
Marketing Director – Craig Badlie
Category Director – Ben Wheeler
Senior Brand Manager – Michael Taylor
Assistant Brand Manager – Alison Futcher
Media: ZenithOptimedia
Production Company: ROBBER’S DOG
EP: Mark Foster
Director: Adam Stevens
Producer: Helen Hendry
DOP: Pete Zuccarini
Post Production: BLOCKHEAD
Editor: Tim Mauger
Colourist: Vincent Taylor
Online: Stefan Coory
Composer: Cam Ballantyne
Sound Mix: Jon Cooper
3 Comments
Great stuff DDB NZ.
I think this is a beautiful film that’s well-crafted, but I’m jarred by a finely tuned athlete who could never do what he’s doing under the influence of beer or even drink during the years it would take to hone that skill. I understand he represents defiance and rebellion but what roll the beer plays, I don’t know.
Steinlager has always been a beer that has supported those who take on the world (All Blacks, Americas Cup, etc all) and pushed other normal Kiwi’s to take pride in NZ and its defiance as a nation. That I believe is the link back and most kiwi’s will get this.