Gap, HeyDude and Tom Ford: Brand ambassadors on the move this week

It was a busy week for brands and their respective ambassadors, many of whom were selected for their connections to a younger generation of potential shoppers, a group brands are continuously trying to align with. Here are some of the biggest collaborations of the week, some ringing in the launch of the all important autumn campaigns.

HeyDude and Sydney Sweeney

Sydney Sweeney has been named the global spokesperson for HeyDude, a role that will involve a long-term partnership between the ‘Euphoria’ actress and the footwear brand. To reveal the collaboration, Sweeney appeared in a video campaign depicting her as the ‘Director of Dudes’, seen in both out-of-home advertising and social media efforts. Her selection aligns with HeyDude’s ongoing mission to build on its primarily young fanbase, which it has already targeted through music festivals and travel, among other platforms.

Gap and Troye Sivan

Gap continued its reliance on young pop stars for its new autumn 2024 campaign, turning to Grammy-nominated Troye Sivan, whose dance-led video from the brand comes on the heels of a similarly musical past campaign starring Tyla. This time, however, Sivan stars in the promotional video ‘Get Loose’ alongside the CDK Company, who he dances together with while sporting Gap’s Men’s Baggy Jean and Supima Relaxed Tee. The collaboration will also extend into the creation of a collaborative in-store playlist, to which Sivan will contribute and will further be available to listen to via Spotify.

DKNY and Kaia Gerber

Kaia Gerber, popular Gen Z model, ‘Bottoms’ star and daughter of Cindy Crawford, was revealed as the face of the second instalment of DKNY’s New York Stories campaign, which aims to dive deep into the brand’s home city and explore its “endless capacity to inspire”. The campaign, which features looks from DKNY’s 35th anniversary collection, merges the brand’s distinct New York edge with Gerber’s own personal interests, specifically novels – she runs her own Book Club – as seen in the inclusion of famous quotes from literary classics.

FitFlop and Song Hye Kyo

Footwear label FitFlop has selected Korean actress Song Hye Kyo for its own ambassadorship in a bid to help accelerate brand recognition in Asia and expand among new audiences, as stated by its CEO, Gianni Georgiades, in a release. For the partnership, Song selected a number of FitFlop silhouettes, including Mary-Janes and loafers, to form an edit that was then exhibited in an accompanying campaign.

Tory Burch and Kendall Jenner

To market Tory Burch’s newest fragrance, Sublime, the US luxury brand onboarded reality star and model Kendall Jenner as the face of the campaign. In imagery photographed by Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott, Jenner can be seen holding a giant iteration of the perfume’s bottle. Speaking on the collaboration, Burch said in a release: “Kendall has a quiet power. She knows who she is and she’s fearless.”

Boss and Fernando Alonso

To promote the first capsule collection in collaboration with Aston Martin, Boss appointed Formula One World Champion Fernando Alonso to lead the campaign. It marked the German brand’s first collaboration with a sports car manufacturer, to which it looked when informing on the line’s high-performance design qualities. The choice of Alonso, meanwhile, came down to the sportsman’s embodiment of the Boss spirit, the brand said in a release, personifying its ‘Be Your Own Boss’ tagline.

Tom Ford and Angelina Jolie

Tom Ford, meanwhile, set its sights on the height of Hollywood for its own campaign, putting to the forefront actress Angelie Jolie to help launch its new Runway Lip Colour. Jolie, who was described by the brand as an “international icon in film” with an “uncompromising commitment to self-expression”, will be seen in a selection of imagery and videos aimed to portray a “cinematic homage to feminine beauty and its power”. The campaign itself will be released September 3, when a 18-shade collection of lip colours will also become available.