Clarks launches campaign starring Alexander Skarsgard & Freida Pinto

Clarks, a long-time champion of comfortable and fashionable footwear, enlists stars Alexander Skarsgård and Freida Pinto as the faces of the new global campaign.

Clarks, the iconic British footwear brand will be reinforcing a belief in the importance of comfort in every situation with this season’s campaign. Clarks asked Skarsgård and Pinto to share their comfort story, in cities most meaningful to them.

Tara McRae, chief marketing officer at Clarks, explains, “Authenticity, style and comfort have always been core attributes of the Clarks brand and we wanted to bring this to the forefront of our marketing for AW19 with key ambassadors of the brand. Alex and Freida were organic choices to serve as the faces of our campaign, given their existing affinity and history with the brand dating back to their childhoods.”

Skarsgård, styled by George Cortina, was shot in his hometown of Stockholm, by photographer Mikael Jansson. His shoot featured the Desert Boot, Ronnie Walk, Clarkdale Gobi, Trace Quest, and Batcombe Lord. Pinto was shot on location in London, a city she fell in love with and the urban environment where she feels most comfortable, by photographer Cory Tran and styled by Elizabeth Saltzman. She can be seen wearing the Desert Boot, Clarkdale Arlo, Pure Viola, Sense Lula, Tri Spark, and Trace Pine. Campaign imagery captures the idea that we do not need to sacrifice comfort for style, but can experience both— 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

Golden Globe, Emmy, and SAG winner Alexander Skarsgård has a longstanding fondness for Clarks’ most iconic style — the Desert Boot.

He recalled his first pair, saying, “The Gallagher brothers of Oasis wore them, so naturally I had to get a pair. I remember thinking they looked too clean when I got them, so I asked my dad to run over them with his car. He went back and forth a bunch of times, so they’d look aged and worn.” Skarsgård’s connection to the brand and approach to showcasing his personal style through the classic boot speaks to a core element of the Clarks’ ethos, which encourages everyone to make Clarks their own.

On the theme of the campaign, actress and activist, Freida Pinto said, “Clarks and I share a common understanding of the need for comfort, because that is something in the world of fashion that is really not preached. At the beginning of my career I was told I had to sacrifice comfort for the sake of style and being a fashion icon, which I think is not true at all – so I think Clarks and I have a common idea of what comfort really means and I find the collaboration very organic.”

Over the last four years, Pinto has served as an ambassador of Girl Rising, a charity that empowers young women to stand up and share their stories to change the way the world views and values girls and to highlight the importance of education. Inspired by Pinto’s passion for empowering women, Clarks will support Girl Rising this fall across the brand’s various channels and locations around the world in celebration of International Day of the Girl on October 11.

The campaign rolls out globally on September 3 across various media platforms, featuring styles available on Clarks global e-commerce sites and in multi-brand retailers starting now. Skarsgård and Pinto will continue their partnership and will return for the Spring/Summer 2020 Clarks campaign.