HarrimanSteel Creates TOMS’ First UK-Centric Campaign

HarrimanSteel has created the first ever EMEA-led campaign for TOMS, the iconic One for One brand. The campaign launches the Hermosa shoe, an exclusive to UK footwear retailer schuh.  

As the first TOMS campaign developed outside of the United States, the challenge was to translate the playful optimism of the Californian mindset to a young British audience, while speaking to the brand’s social mission.

HarrimanSteel believes localisation is key to brand relevance. “Consumers no longer want to see global campaigns,” says Julian Harriman, Co-Founder of HarrimanSteel. “We have always been about tapping into local culture. For this campaign, it was important to land TOMS in UK culture. London is a cultural melting pot and this needed to come across.”

The Day in. Day out. campaign is designed to evoke the individuality that the Hermosa shoe offers to British youth. It was important for TOMS to capture an authentic Gen Z perspective, so rather than using a formal modelling agency, HarrimanSteel scouted for talent through Instagram. 

Remaining true to the brand’s values, an informal approach to art direction was embraced. Up-and-coming photographer Amber Dixon brought her quintessentially London street-style aesthetic to imagery, and retouching was ditched to celebrate authenticity.

The campaign’s images are overlaid with UK landscapes, designed to provide a glimpse into the lives of consumers. These images reflect their day-to-day travels and build on the Hermosa’s invitation: to explore every day, write your own story, and be true to your own path.  

“For the first time ever, we hired a creative agency to deliver a UK specific campaign. We wanted an agency that understands the opportunity in the competitive UK retail environment, but appreciates TOMS’ unique voice and social mission [One for One],” says TOMS EMEA Marketing Director, Lisa Hogg.