Grey has a reputation of being dull and lifeless, the colour of corporate suits and bad weather. New Balance is challenging this perception in its new campaign film, Grey Days, by pointing out that some of the best things in life are grey. This not only includes some of the brand’s beloved models, including the classic 990, but also black and white film, which is of course filled with a spectrum of greys.

Created by Brooklyn-based agency American Haiku, Grey Days features vignettes of daily life shot in a lo-fi, indie filmmaking style, complete with jaunty angles and philosophical dialogue.

The brand film brings together stars from the worlds of music (British rapper Dave), skateboarding (veteran Andrew Reynolds) and American football (NFL star Chase Young), demonstrating its reach across different cultural touchpoints.

Nods to the brand’s heritage are peppered throughout the film but are packaged up for good measure in the animated sequence by London-based studio Stray, which offers a potted history of New Balance’s grey roots in the form of a retro cartoon.

The scenes are shot in seven one-minute episodes that come together to form one film that will be shown in US cinemas and online. The campaign also includes a trailer that is cinematic in its own right, as well as OOH executions and print ads in iconic skateboarding magazine Thrasher. It comes as part of a month-long celebration of grey, which also involves special product launches.

Credits:
Agency: American Haiku
ECD: Thom Glover
Creative Director: Ben Muckensturm
Production Company: Rascal
ECD: Daniel Wolfe
DOP: Norm Li
Co-Production Company: Lovesong
Production Service Company: Shot in Mars
Post Production, VFX and Animation: Stray
Music Supervision: Curation Music
Sound Design and Mix: King Lear
Stills: Cartel and Co
Photographer: Samuel Bradley