Mind and Body Unite in Campaign from Garmin

Garmin announces its Venu 2 series GPS smartwatches in a new campaign titled #DearBody, for everyone working to shake off quarantine rust.

We’ve all felt the mental and physical toll of the past year in one way or another - whether it’s the urge to spend another night binge-watching the latest ‘it’ series or screen fatigue amidst the endless sea of video conference calls - and Garmin wants to help break that cycle. They partnered with Venice-based production company Farm League and director Tim Wheeler to craft #DearBody, a campaign encouraging all people to realign their mind and body with the help of Garmin’s new Venu 2 series GPS smartwatches.

Garmin plays a prominent role in the sports industry with a product line that extends from running and cycling to swimming and golf. #DearBody focuses on non-athletes and athletes alike as it aims to unify all people with one common wellness goal: To understand your body better today than you did yesterday. Wheeler and Farm League came on to help fulfill this vision, paying specific attention to the casting process and finding talent who felt authentic.

“Now more than ever wellness has become a priority to millions of people,” says Ryan Carrothers, lead writer at Garmin International. “The Venu 2 and Dear Body campaign were purpose-built with the goal of helping people to know and understand their bodies better. Tim’s grasp on the concept was immediate and his vision truly brought this spot to life.”

Several health features are highlighted in the anthem film, including sleep score and stress tracking, through activities with which we can all relate - an afternoon jog, a moment of respite in the pool, and a yoga session shared with the kids.

“The Garmin brand has a history of strong creative and beautiful visuals, so before even seeing the boards, I was already excited about the possibility of working with them,” says director Tim Wheeler. “This campaign is completely relatable to what a lot of people are experiencing during the pandemic, so casting talent that felt genuine to the moment was important. We wanted people that actually did these activities on a regular basis to make it feel less like acting and more like natural behavior. We also tried to make each vignette specific to a different type of individual so that the spot was universally appealing - plenty of moments for every viewer to pull out at least one character and say, ‘yeah, I’ve been there.’ ”

Wheeler is known for his ability to find and draw out moments of levity in the everyday. His work has a throughline of striking, cinematic visuals and grounded, honest performances from both actors and non-actors. With a client list that includes Google, Intel, The North Face and Eddie Bauer, he has a deep understanding of the intersection of technology and sports.