How do you tell a new story about one of the world’s most iconic brands?

More to the point, how do you do it without relying on decades’ worth of said brand’s in-house marketing materials? Our answer: The Rolex Standard.

A campaign designed to look back and explain the Rolex of today through the context of their history, their achievements, and their incredibly consistent design language.

Built around a comprehensive collection of Rolex watches from across the decades, this multi-channel campaign gave me the chance to tell the story of a brand I’ve long admired in a way few others have had the opportunity.

Working closely with my Creative Director, Kate Lawler, I had the opportunity to really take the lead on this campaign, telling the story of how Rolex established itself as the standard in modern watchmaking through a blend of editorial, social, advertising, and email content.

“NOT ALL KINGS WEAR CROWNS, BUT THEY DO WEAR ROLEX”

“Mickey Mouse. Coca-Cola. The Olympics. There are few names in the world as recognizable as these. That’s because global recognition requires more than just a good product, more than just reach; it requires an ability to conjure a sensation — one greater than the sum of its parts. An enduring feeling that connects on a level deeper than the surface. The Olympics inspire us, Coca-Cola makes us happy, and Mickey Mouse makes us laugh.

Rolex makes us feel. Through an unmatched combination of technical achievement, steadfast aesthetic commitment, and stalwart reliability, the Rolex name has come to represent something more than just a watch. From game-changing revolutionaries to cult classics, Rolex has defined the best of the watch industry for over a century.

When I was first getting into watches, Rolex was one of the few brands I felt I knew. I would hazard that I am not the only enthusiast for whom that is true, and I fell into the same trap so many have by replacing my marketing-induced reverence of them with a dismissive sense that they were, perhaps, not what they purported to be.

And I was not entirely wrong in that assessment; they are not what they purport to be on a surface composed of glitzy ads, massive event sponsorships, and traditional luxury. They are a deeply rooted, long-standing brand with firmly held convictions and passions, which also happens to make one of the most impressive products in the space — and has for a very long time.”

“When all is said and done, what you get when you buy a Rolex is a watch. Sure, it’s an incredibly well-made watch, but fundamentally — it’s just a watch. Steel or gold surrounding a dial and movement. Some may have a complication or an interesting bezel, but fundamentally, they are all tools used for telling time.

Except that, no, they aren’t. They aren’t just a watch. Choosing a Rolex is buying into a palpable history, one intrinsically tied to the last hundred years of watchmaking. Rolex tells a story about watches moving from the pocket to your wrist, the advent of the age of aviation, an era of exploration, generations of excellence, and, yes, what it means to make a great watch.

So, no, a Rolex isn’t just a watch; it’s a Rolex.”

See the Full Story

Copy by C. Griffin Bartsch, Creative Direction by Kate Lawler, Photography by Paige Thatcher