ON’s Zone Dreamers: the best movie never made
On did something bold and different with their latest campaign, Zone Dreamers, featuring Zendaya, who signed to be a brand partner last June.
By different, I mean "creative", ingenious, artistic!
It is genuinely surprising that this campaign hasn’t sparked that much conversation, as it undoubtedly pushes the boundaries of creative brand storytelling. I mean the On team literally described it as "their most ambitious campaign to date."
I personally love it when brands think outside the box to give us something we don't come across everyday. This campaign was a fusion of film, fashion, and fantasy, featuring an imagined universe and the adventures of Zendaya and her crew. This does not come as a surprise, given that the campaign was directed by the audacious visionary artist Nadia Lee Cohen, a photographer, filmmaker, and self-portrait artist whose work is deeply influenced by 1960s and 1970s British and American cinema. Her distinctive style, characterized by surreal, retro-inspired worlds, perfectly explains the campaign's retro-futuristic theme. Law Roach, Zendaya's longtime stylist, not only curated the looks for the Zone Dreamers campaign but also made appearances within it. Zendaya expressed that collaborating with Nadia Lee Cohen for the first time brought a unique energy to the set, and sharing this experience with Law made it even more special.
Now let's get into the messaging behind the campaign.
This campaign features a retro-futuristic trailer for the "greatest movie never made! Round of applause for that tagline though - pure creative genius. Keep reading, and I will explain why.
This imaginative campaign introduces On's new products, which include the Cloudzone sneaker and the Studio Knit Bodysuit, alongside other pieces from their Spring/Summer collection.
On's Zone Dreamers campaign, featuring Zendaya, masterfully fuses 1970s sci-fi aesthetics with contemporary fashion, crafting a distinctive narrative that celebrates confidence, community, and the transformative power of movement, which happens to be a core element of On's mission. Zendaya describes the campaign as one that embodies courage, friendship, and the kind of trust that empowers individuals to step outside their comfort zones and embrace new experiences.
In the campaign's trailer and behind-the-scenes glimpses, Zendaya embarks on an adventurous journey through outer space with her crew, working together in a humorous and collaborative manner. Alex Griffin, On's Chief Marketing Officer, describes the campaign's essence by stating that with Zone Dreamers they were able to create a world where movement becomes a metaphor for confidence, connection, and creative possibility.
This campaign trailer and its follow-up series garnered over 21 million views on Instagram alone. While Instagram directed viewers to TikTok to explore more of the Zone Dreamers, their TikTok engagement was comparatively lower. However, it's worth noting that they have a substantial following of 2.6 million on Instagram and 177.3K on TikTok.
Let's move on to the breakdown and the strategies that made this campaign excellent!
Returning to your why.
The campaign ties seamlessly into On’s vision and even echoes its origin story. On’s mission which is reflected throughout the campaign states “To ignite the human spirit through movement”. As Alex Griffin noted, in the campaign, movement becomes a metaphor for confidence, connection, and creative possibility.
This theme also mirrors the brand’s beginnings, when founder Oliver Bernhard set out to create a running shoe with a completely new feel. His dream became a reality in 2010, when he teamed up with Caspar Coppetti and David Allemann. Together, working with advanced technology in the Swiss Alps, they developed a high-performance, ultra-comfortable shoe that has since gained global recognition and is worn by athletes around the world. This campaign is a full circle moment highlighting key themes such as teamwork, trust, new experiences, and creative possibilities and basically what happens when you 'Dream On'. Sometimes, the most powerful campaigns are born when a brand returns to its “why", with a dash of creativity of course!
The best movie never made.
I told you we’d come back to this! Partnering with Nadine Lee Cohen for this campaign was obviously an incredible move because she added her signature touch of creativity, which brought that retro-futuristic feel to life. That is one detail of the campaign that made it stand out.
The entire campaign is built around a trailer for a movie that doesn’t, and will never exist - and that’s the whole point. The campaign is the trailer. And they gave us a follow-up series, which takes us behind the scenes of both the fictional universe and the real world. That layered storytelling? Genius.
If you’re still not following, let me paint a picture: think of any movie you love. After the trailer drops, what usually follows? A wave of interviews of the actors and actresses talking about their experiences on set. That’s exactly what this campaign mimicked, but in a creative and fantasy like way to market their newly launched products. They gave us a trailer and the bts of that trailer. I don't think I have seen any brand do this and that is why I think this campaign is so good! That is what thinking outside the box looks like!
We want more Zone Dreamers.
On gave us a perfect trailer, some stills, and a bit of BTS, then told us to follow them on TikTok to see more of the Zone Dreamers. I was so excited. Like many others in the comments who were impressed by the campaign, I wanted more. So, I followed them on TikTok and waited patiently in anticipation for what was to come!
But over the next few days, that anticipation slowly fizzled out. The TikTok videos were good but felt a bit underwhelming compared to the build-up and what I was expecting. I assume that I wasn’t the only one who felt that way, which might explain the low engagement numbers on TikTok.
Now, I’ll give them this: it was a smart move to drive traffic to TikTok and boost their following. But if the goal is to keep those new followers, there should be a strategy to keep them engaged. With all the ongoing conversations around community building, this campaign could’ve been a golden opportunity for growing their TikTok. I’m no creative director, but it would’ve been the perfect moment for some fun, and more out-of-the-box content like pilates in zero gravity, a matcha dispenser on the spaceship, or even a space marathon especially since this campaign launched just before marathon season. Brands should always remember to treat their community like relationships and never introduce their community to a vibe they can't sustain.
What can small brands learn from this?
Firstly, it’s always a good idea to go back to your why. Returning to the drawing board or the reason your brand was born can be a powerful foundation for a campaign, especially if it was created to solve a problem or fill a gap. Not only does it reinforce your mission and vision, but it also reminds your audience why they connected with or started to patronize your brand in the first place.
Secondly, always remember that people are already overwhelmed by the countless ads they see, and the content they consume daily. Doom scrolling has become the norm, so you need to give them a reason to pause and engage with your content. I have to constantly remind myself of this as well but don’t be afraid to think outside the box! Don't be afraid to be creative and put out content that people are not used to. Don't be afraid to be different. Just make sure your messaging is clear and that the content aligns with your brand values and resonates with your audience.
And lastly, don’t introduce your community to a vibe you can’t maintain. No one likes inconsistency, and people will walk away when things start to feel off. Consistency builds trust so if you’re going to set a tone, make sure you’re ready to commit to it.
That is all for today my lovely PLM readers! Like always I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed putting it together! Till next time xx
Social Media and Marketing Strategist and
Creator Executive
