Sunbrella fabrics launches multi-platform ad campaign

Home Textiles Today Staff -- Home Textiles Today, 3/19/2012 2:36:43 PM

Sunbrella fabrics launches multi-platform ad campaign

Glen Raven, N.C. - Sunbrella is launching a new ad campaign dubbed "Live Free Style."

The campaign, the company said, is aimed at celebrating worry-free living from the perspectives of an imaginative child and practical parent, drawing attention to the many ways Sunbrella fabrics are used in everyday life.

"We believe that people will relate to this campaign on many levels - as parents, homeowners and individuals who enjoy the relaxing moments in life," said Gina Wicker, design and creative director for Sunbrella fabrics. "With Sunbrella, the possibilities are endless, and this campaign highlights those aspects of creativity and imagination."

Developed by Charlotte, N.C.-based Wray Ward, the campaign includes print ads that incorporate aspects of the furniture, awning and marine markets served by the Sunbrella brand. Each ad features a QR code that takes visitors to a stop-animation video, bringing the ad to life and offering additional information on Sunbrella fabrics.

"This campaign allowed us to push creative boundaries and show Sunbrella fabrics in a completely different light," said John Roberts, creative director at Wray Ward. "Rather than focusing only on product attributes or room settings, we show all of that and more using the fabrics as the background and the imagination of a child as the perspective. It allows consumers to look at Sunbrella fabrics with new eyes."

Three ads from The Live Free Style campaign have been unveiled to date - BMX, Wave and Hang Glider - with additional ads slated for release in the coming months. The print ads will appear in trade and consumer publications throughout the year. Settings for each ad were built using Sunbrella fabrics, creating a piece of interactive art for the actors and showing the range of colors, textures and designs available from the iconic brand. In BMX, the premiere ad of the campaign, a young boy rides his bike through a rough terrain of boulders, rocks and a flowing stream, all made from Sunbrella fabrics.

An additional component of the new campaign is www.livefreestyle.com, a website providing behind-the-scenes footage of the creative process that brought the campaign to life. Two-minute videos tell the story of each ad, from an artist's sketch to the building of sets, while providing glimpses of the Sunbrella creative team and the finished product.

"Live Free Style stays true to the Sunbrella brand promise of delivering a powerful combination of beauty, durability and worry-free living for the moments you've earned," Wicker said. "We are excited to share the campaign with Sunbrella fans and with those new to our brand, both consumers and the trade."