Clarks Originals deepens Set Free Richardson link, names him Creative specialist

By

Sandra Halliday

Published
Feb 21, 2023

British shoe brand Clarks Originals has named American Set Free Richardson as its new “Creative Specialist” after working with him on its multi award-winning Clarks and New York short film.

It has deepened its relationship with the Brooklyn-based creative director/founder of agency Compound (and “self-proclaimed creative Jedi”) saying that his “superpower is pinpointing synergies between his many passions spanning hip hop, art, fashion, and basketball. Working closely with Clarks Originals, he has found the brand to be one that can authentically extend across as many cultures and pursuits as he can”.

So what will he actually do in his new post? Richardson will play a “multifaceted role, working with the brand team to execute specific creative projects, produce live events, and act as an ambassador and conduit to different cultures and areas with a special focus on art, hip hop, and basketball”.

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He said he’s a fan of the brand and that “working with the Clarks team feels like working with family, there’s a mutual trust and belief in my creative vision which I truly appreciate. The partnership so far has been great, and we’re only just getting started”.

Tara McRae, Clarks’ Chief Marketing and Digital Officer, said that “working hand in hand with Free on our now multi award-winning Clarks and New York short film… was a triumphant experience, and the start of a working relationship that we felt could only go from strength to strength. We already have lots lined up with Free for the coming year and I cannot wait to see what we can achieve together”.

His directorial debut role for Clarks Originals was, as mentioned, the short film Clarks and New York, Soles of the City and it won Gold at the Corporate Cannes Awards followed by three Platinum and two Gold Awards at this year’s Muse Creative Awards. 

The link-up continued in November when The Compound Floor Seats Wallabee shoe was released, inspired by the courtside lifestyle, taking design cues from vintage leather basketballs with its perforated beeswax leather construction. And there was an activation at Art Basel Miami, launching “a multi-layered campaign that combined a shoot with NBA player Kyle Anderson, a Carbon Neutral NFT with BK The Artist, a song with Dave East and Jadakiss, and a launch event at the UNKWN in Miami’s Wynwood Art District with a live performance by Jadakiss himself”.