Mutt Film Director Stone Shannon Rolls Out Vans’ Self Expression-Centered Campaign

Award-winning production company Mutt Film’s director Stone Shannon has completed an 11-spot campaign for Vans, kinetically capturing how the iconic shoes are part of the identity of each young person profiled. Focussing on Vans Sk8-Hi and Sentry shoe lines, the energetic, quick-cut films strike a tone of bold individuality by focusing on the voices and viewpoints of young individuals describing the role Vans play in their personal expression. 

“Vans and I were looking to spark a conversation around creativity, culture and identity through the lens of fashion. All of our subjects had such depth in their conversations around clothing as a form of self-expression and embraced fluidity on a wide yet effortless spectrum. For this campaign, it was important that the audience take away a feeling of intimacy that also captured the evolution of finding oneself through choices in presentation. Both the subjects and the films themselves, with the use of additive collage, are in an ever-evolving state of work-in-progress: never complete but always authentic,” says director Stone Shannon of the campaign, where she fused her graphic design, fashion and documentary experience to edit and create motion graphics for the work, in addition to directing.

In two fast-tempo spots centred on Sk8-Hi High Tapered Vans, the subject's voices narrate over collages of images and clips of each person in their individualized worlds, keying into their unique ideas and points of view. In “Kennedie Session 001”, a young gender-fluid woman talks about her identity as a work in progress and how her favourite Sk8-Hi High Tapered Vans fit into her gender-flexible mindset. Against a colourful visual collage of cleverly juxtaposed photos and clips, Kennedie moves through her favourite outfits and spaces, all of which seamlessly work with the shoes. In “Nikki Session 001”, fast cuts follow a scratch track and subtly rhythmic music as Nikki’s VO explains how her identity and style are constantly evolving - as her clothing changes in the film - and how she never fixates on one aesthetic. The campaign will launch on Vans’ digital and social channels including Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok, and will also be available on Pinterest in the following weeks. 

“We loved the whole experience of working directly with the creative team at Vans. They were refreshingly open to Stone's vision and really let her run with the edit, graphics and sound design. What resulted is unique and bold which underscores their core message,” says Mutt Film EP Beth George.