Sportswear retailer Reebok has collaborated with golf brand Manors to unveil a new campaign for its co-branded debut collection.
Devised by Stink Studios, the marketing drive deviates from the traditional approach to golfing. It uses an old Reebok slogan: “No thanks, I’ll walk”.
The work portrays golf carts as the “enemy”, making the buggies a symbol of “everything wrong” with the game, such as “the lack of adventure, the laziness and the efficiency”.
Luke Davies, co-founder of Manors Golf, said: “At its core, the campaign is a reminder that golf did not originate with etiquette, rules, stats, dress codes and golf carts, we added all that stuff later. It was a simple game played in nature.”
“Our favourite version of golf is when you throw the bag on your shoulder and explore a new course by foot, and we really hope this campaign encourages people to ditch the cart and do that,” he added.
The campaign uses the tagline: “Everyone should walk the golf course.”
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At the centre of the work is a hero spot, directed by Dan French, which follows a group of golfers as they explore the course. Their adventure is interrupted by intermittent scenes showcasing the destruction of golf carts.
“In some ways, this campaign felt like grassroots filmmaking, lots of creative freedom, running around on a golf course causing chaos and even handling the VFX myself,” said Davies.
“It was perfect because we wanted it to have a low-fi look and disrupt some of the stuffy things found in golf, whilst still celebrating the sport.”
To support the campaign, the firm has unveiled a series of short social films showing the buggies being destroyed. Viewers can see the vehicles being impaled on a London landmark, smashed to pieces on a high-speed Japanese train track and sunk in water.
The films were made using AI and CGI.
Cameron Temple, ECD at Stink Studios, said: “When you’re up against the big players, you need to get noticed and drive home a point of view that people can get behind. Neither Manors or Reebok are known for pulling punches or shying away from brave statements, and that’s what this work is designed to embrace.”
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