Senior Integrated Producer at KesselsKramer
Timberland Construct: 10061
Question: Timberland wants to recruit a new generation of consumers for whom boots in general, and Timberland in particular are not top of mind.
Answer: Make the process of inventing and producing new footwear transparent, collaborative and iterative.
Timberland, especially its classic 10061 Yellow Boot are ingrained in popular culture. The problem is, for a new generation of consumer, born after 1995, who are more at home wearing sneakers, Timberland is neither a go to brand, or an old favourite.
Timberland aimed to change that, by changing design language and aesthetics, as well as the way it brings new product to life, to appeal to this new generation.
The project is titled Timberland Construct: 10061 in a nod to the classic yellow boot product code. Each season, a group of designers are brought together at the Timberland factory to hack and rethink the bootmaking process from the ground up. It’s transparent, collaborative, and lives on social media. New designs are debuted first on Instagram for an audience of engaged fans. The best – and the best liked – will be put into production.
KesselsKramer created seasonal themes which guide the project. For this first edition, the theme is Boots Beyond Borders, a timely comment on the global migration crisis, as well as more specifically a product brief; the search for a new kind of boot design.
To communicate to the Gen Z audience Timberland wanted to reach, KesselsKramer created a social platform, on Instagram, posting 3 uinque pieces per day, as well as a long-form interview each week for 8 weeks. Brand name, identity, and all communications were created by KesselsKramer. The project itself is a collaboration with design collective, ConceptKicks and the VF Innovation Center, which handles innovation for VF brands including Vans, Timberland, Lee, North Face and more.