SurfStitch today announced the debut of a new quarterly newspaper, Post and unveiled a new brand campaign: The Common Thread Between Us.
Launching today, Post is a new printed joint venture between SurfStitch and Stab offers a mix of fashion, surf, travel, culture, lifestyle and apparel content within a matte A4 format including hover-to-shop functionality.
SurfStitch MD Jevon Le Roux said the venture is aimed at bridging online and offline.
“Print may seem like an unusual choice of medium for SurfStitch as one of Australia’s biggest online retailers, but therein lies the point.
“Post complements the rapid delivery offered by our mega digital footprint, with a tangible face and longevity for deeper commentary.
"It’s been a true collaborative process between the team at SurfStitch and Stab with a strong emphasis on both style and storytelling.”
The 40-page Summer 19/20 edition has an initial print run of 200,000 with FSC approved printing on 95% recycled paper with vegetable dye ink.
SurfStitch eCommerce GM Dane Patterson said the launch of Post was a play to extend the reach of the brand.
“The Post’s physical format offers a premium format to connect with our audience, integrating long-form narrative, strong visuals and typography.
“It's been fun to produce a piece of print content which can live on someone’s coffee table however we also wanted to ensure the link to our digital platform was seamless.
"This is enabled by the use of hover-to-shop functionality, linking customers straight to the curated product featured on the paper in front of them.”
The first quarterly issue will be distributed until January 2020.
SurfStitch today also unveiled its new brand campaign: The Common Thread Between Us.
Produced by creative agency Verb Syndicate, the campaign showcases ‘real’ people wearing SurfStitch products they love, curated and shot by them.
Verb Syndicate's Colin Blake said the campaign breaks new ground.
"Common Thread Between Us aims to challenge the tried and tested formula of campaigns, their themes and how they’re shot.
"SurfStitch is for the everyman and everywoman, it’s inclusive and we want people to feel that - no matter their lifestyle or background - we’ve got them catered for.”
The real people featured in The Common Thread campaign range from roof tiler and single dad Mark Beavan, to skater and hardware store working Bec Soloman - to double-life living Cameron Cooper - part-steel worker, part-rocker.
“We aren’t taking normal people and trying to make them models – the normal diversity of the group resonates with the SurfStitch product and we are highlighting that by letting people just be themselves," Blake said.
"None of the scenes are overly planned or set-up, with the TVC story line featuring a real-life experience – a group of people making their way to a real gig featuring Bad Dreems.”
The campaign will be executed across outdoor media and digital.