Luxottica tells its 75-year story with Ray-Ban Legends
An advertising campaign in the spirit of Never Hide: be yourself, say what you think and express your personality without reservations Ray-Ban Legends provided the occasion for telling the 75-year story in the spirit of Never Hide: having the courage to be yourself, say what you think and express your personality without reservations. To stay true to the values of authenticity and uniqueness that have been a part of Ray-Ban's DNA from its creation in 1937 to the present day. An icon and legend of the past, but also of the present and future: this is the core message behind Ray-Ban Legends. Shot by Mark Seliger in California at the end of January, the campaign covers seven legendary moments – one for each decade – inspired by the stories of real and particularly iconic personalities. Each personality wears a Ray-Ban icon. Stories with evocative images enhanced by the faithful rendition of the techniques of each decade (black and white, sepia and, of course, color). "My first pair of sunglasses were Ray-Bans. I borrowed my brother's gold Aviators with green lenses – not always with his permission – and I immediately became the coolest thirteen-year-old in Texas" said photographer Mark Seliger. "So when they asked me to shoot the Ray-Ban campaign for the 75th anniversary, it seemed like the all-time creative dream, especially since I lived a couple of those decades to the full". "It is one of those trains that pass only once in a lifetime, and being part of the creative team was great fun. Our creative director Erik Vervroegen suggested settings that are iconic, controversial, fun, in other words, perfect for my job and because they express everything Ray-Ban is" Mark Seliger continued. The result is an extraordinary series of significant visuals that not only symbolize an era in general terms, they are also individual testimonies of specific moments. In the spirit of Never Hide, the seven personalities unwittingly broke the conventional mold, they opened their eyes when the world kept its closed. The Blue Devils pilots of the Thirties; the story of a writer in the heart of America in the Forties; a singer-songwriter who worked with Elvis Presley in the Fifties; a British socialite of the Sixties; a couple who fell in love at a demonstration in the Seventies; three girls in the nightlife of the Eighties, and a courageous rapper of the Nineties. The Ray-Ban Legends roll-out began in April 2012, worldwide. The campaign is a mix of all communication media: from print to outdoor, from the ray-ban.com website to the iPhone Apps (Ray-Ban Never Hide) and Facebook (All Tomorrow's Legends). With the same name as the communication campaign a dedicated section on ray-ban.com celebrates 75 years of a rebellious, unconventional and iconic spirit. In an interactive area, the campaign's anecdotes and personalities are shown on a virtual street in an American city. From 1937 onward, the legends of the past follow in succession to the present day and its living legends: Ray-Ban Wall of Legends. By uploading your own photos, videos and stories, you can describe your own moments and join the Legend.
