MUMBAI: Coach has launched ‘Unlock Your Courage’ starring new global ambassadors Elle Fanning, Charles Melton, Nazha and Storm Reid, and returning Coach Family members Jayson Tatum, Kōki, and Youngji Lee. The campaign introduces Coach’s Fall 2024 collection in stories about having the courage to choose authentic self-expression over the idea of perfection, and is the newest exploration of ‘The Courage to Be Real’. This is Coach’s purpose-grounded platform inspiring people to express the many sides of who they are.
Coach’s ‘Unlock Your Courage’ campaign looks to reshape the brand’s talent constellation with the addition of new ambassadors —a global group uniquely aligned with Coach’s grounding purpose, the Courage to Be Real. In their own ways, each of these individuals display the kind of authenticity, courageous spirit, talent and style that make them stand-outs in their fields, and strong examples of how to confidently explore the many facets of one’s identity.
The Fall campaign reflects the ways today’s generation can sometimes feel constrained by their own expectations of perfection. Starting from this initial place of vulnerability, the campaign stories then flip the narrative, with each character unlocking their inner courage to break free from their ideas of perfection and instead celebrate their unique self-expression.
“My approach to the “Unlock Your Courage,” campaign matched my design process for the Fall collection. “We focussed on the tension between something romantic and picturesque and something very real and spontaneous; a sense of the lived in but compelling aesthetic that typifies the spirit of New York. Elaine’s dynamic shots of our friends of the house all amplify that message of authenticity and the beauty that comes from embracing the imperfections of a well-lived life in well-loved fashion” said creative director Stuart Vevers.
In the campaign films directed by Camille Summers-Valli, Coach bags act as a catalyst for the characters’ transformations, animating with a life of their own to help each individual tap into their inner confidence. Elle Fanning portrays a young woman preparing for an audition, who then gets a burst of confidence from the Brooklyn bag she carries with her. Charles Melton’s character is arriving at a first date when his Hitch backpack helps him show up as his authentic self. In Nazha’s film, she plays a young woman walking up to a crowded party, and her Times Square Tabby bag gives her the assurance to arrive as only she could.
The new ambassadors are joined in the campaign films by returning Coach Family member, rapper Youngji Lee, playing a young woman who initially feels self-conscious at a family gathering, before her Tabby bag pulls her out of her shell. These films are complemented by photographs by British photographer Elaine Constantine, which capture carefree moments of inner liberation and feature the full cast, including Storm Reid, who makes her debut with the brand in eyewear, and Jayson Tatum, for eyewear and watches, along with Kōki, featuring the new Times Square Tabby. Constantine worked closely with each individual to achieve a natural, uninhibited style of portraiture that evokes spontaneity and human emotion.
“Self-expression is one of the key pillars of the Courage to Be Real, our purpose here at Coach. We’ve found again and again that the chase for perfection can hold us back from expressing ourselves authentically. ‘Unlock Your Courage’ is meant to inspire our consumers to break from that impossible standard and embrace the many facets of who they are” says Coach Global CMO, Tapestry Chief Growth Officer Sandeep Seth.
Another star of the campaign is Coach’s Tabby bag, which appears in new silhouettes and finishes with the debut of the Times Square Tabby. Alongside the new Brooklyn bag, this latest iteration of the Tabby is a highlight of the Coach Fall 2024 collection, inspired by Creative Director Stuart Vevers’ vision of youthful interpretations of Coach’s American design language. The campaign also features tailored silhouettes and ready-to-wear essentials including denim trousers, tops and knitwear, along with an array of New York-inspired charms such as yellow taxis, postcards and the Statue of Liberty.
‘Unlock Your Courage’ follows Coach’s ‘Find Your Courage’ and ‘Wear Your Shine’ campaigns grounded in Expressive Luxury, Coach’s vision of a new kind of luxury focused on self-expression as defined by today’s generation.
