Leading furniture and homeware retailer Weylandts has unveiled its latest creative campaign. It did so during an exclusive event on Thursday 15 September, attended by 130 invited guests. The evening included the premiering of a film that sets the tone for what is to come in the brand’s direction toward storytelling.
“Weylandts is more than just furniture,” says Founder and CEO Chris Weylandt. “It is home to stories that are crafted, reimagined and shared. Our new campaign honours the environments that shape us: people who inspire us, places where we feel we belong and pieces we live with, all layered with memories.”
In the short film directed by Lebogang Rasethaba of Arcade Content, Chris returns to his roots in Namibia to share the story of the naturescapes that have influenced him, and to tell the tale of an iconic chair that once belonged to his father.
Through sharing its journey, Weylandts is encouraging others to do the same – showing how the things people grow up with and choose to surround themselves with influence the things they do, create and dream. As the campaign unfolds, the brand will be delivering similar stories from partners in different creative fields – from fashion stylists to chefs – offering a platform for people to reveal their personal narratives.
The premiere event at the Weylandts Fourways store launched this approach, with a bevy of storytellers regaling guests with tales throughout the evening, demonstrating how their creativity has been shaped by their habitat. Storytellers included TV personality Maps Maponyane, the event’s curators Hannes Maritz and Eduan Roos of Kraak, Chris Weylandt in conversation with media expert Nhlanhla Ngwenya, Namibian DJ Gina Jeanz who created the evening’s playlist, and film director Lebogang Rasethaba.
Chef Wandile Mabaso, another storyteller, explained the sit-down-dinner menu he conceptualised for the event, with ingredients inspired by the ocean, fire and desert dunes seen in the film. The Kraak team also shared its journey behind designing immersive experiences, relating this back to the scenes created throughout the three levels of the Weylandts store – from massive salt mounds and Zen-like dunes to hanging stones and an installation made from black coal; all references to the evocative imagery of Namibia captured by photographer Anke Loots, which brings the campaign to life.
Through the film, which has since been shared on Weylandts social media channels, audiences can better understand the brand’s ethos around timeless, quality design and manufacturing. Chris’s tales about his childhood, which he openly shares on screen, offer a deeper appreciation for the legacy of this South African retailer.
“I’m excited about this added layer to our storytelling,” says Chris. “I believe that by sharing our stories with one another we can inspire better ways of living. We invite people to join our journey and design their own story.”
Watch the Film below:
Film directed by: Lebogang Rasethaba
