Hunter previewed a new, outdoor-centered identity and creative direction Monday.
The “For The World Outside” campaign marks the more than 160-year-old rubber boot brand’s first under the leadership of CEO Paolo Porta—the Jimmy Choo, Stella McCartney and Burberry alum who joined the company as interim CEO in June last year and stepped into the role of full-time CEO this winter. Since joining, Porta has focused on centering the brand’s connection to nature and diversifying its product offering into all-season, all-weather, Hunter said.
The new advertising push centers on Hunter’s classic Original Tall and Short Wellington rain boots and stars a cast of seven, all with connections to nature and purposeful work. The lineup includes George Lamb, founder of the London-based community farm and education program GROW; Florence Huntington-Whitely, co-founder of the creative ethics consultancy CogDis; and Stéphanie Tonnoir, a documentarist and volunteer at the local community fridge she started with her friends.
Hunter’s latest campaign arrives less than a month after the launch of its new sustainability and accountability strategy. The “Hunter Project” consists of seven separate commitments that it says will hold it accountable and benchmark progress. The sustainability platform includes pledges that all its rubber footwear will be Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified by 2025; 65 percent of its collection will incorporate FSC-certified rubber, Bloom algae foam or recycled textiles by next year and 100 percent of packaging will be recyclable by next year.
Since Porta joined Hunter last year, the company has brought on two new members to its leadership team: chief marketing officer Claudia Plant and global design director Sandra Romboli. The introduction of Hunter’s new brand identity and the launch of the Hunter Project mark the first phase of the brand’s evolution, it said. Romboli’s first collection, an Autumn/Winter line set to debut July next year, will mark the next step.
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The British company further strengthened its team this summer, hiring Lara Meiland-Shaw as executive vice president of the Americas and Dave Powell as chief supply chain officer. The two joined in June and July, respectively.
“I’m very pleased to announce the first phase of our brand evolution, establishing our new brand vision and sharing the Hunter pillars: nature, joy, creativity, heritage and protection with existing and new customers,” Porta said in a statement. “We welcome Dave and Lara, with their knowledge and expertise, to help deliver significant further growth in the Americas as well as globally.”