Campaign Spotlight: Telfar x Ugg; Elder Statesman collab
At Ugg, Lindsey Dashoff shapes Ugg’s brand image and messaging, manages collaborations, and directs campaigns emphasizing the brand’s commitment to self-expression and storytelling through creative partnerships.
In the last year, Telfar and The Elder Statesman have been among the brand’s partners.
The brand’s senior director of global brand communications since 2021, Dashoff said Telfar had been on Ugg’s radar for a while when it first approached the brand about collaborating in 2020. Subsequently, the brands have partnered on five collection releases, with the latest in November 2023. “[Telfar] unofficially featured Ugg boots on their runway multiple times,” Dashoff said. “And their motto, ‘It’s not for you, it’s for everyone,’ resonated with us. The brand is democratic and humorous, and the designer, Telfar [Clemens], is unapologetically himself.”
The latest Telfar x Ugg collab focused on the “Krinkle” collection, which includes textural patent loafers, boots and shopping bags. The collection was marketed through a campaign featuring prominent figures including Lil’ Kim, Teezo Touchdown and Yung Miami. It was widely shared on social media, earning 267,000 likes across five promotional posts in November. The collection sold out within a couple of days.
Also in fall 2023, Ugg partnered with the luxury brand The Elder Statesman, known for its California heritage and dedication to craftsmanship. The collection featured Ugg’s Classic Ultra Mini boot reimagined with a relaxed, artisanal West Coast aesthetic.
To bring the story to life, Ugg tapped actor Seth Rogen for a TV spot and out-of-home ads timed with L.A. and Paris Fashion Weeks. In the commercial, he poses alongside a patchwork “Abominable UggMan” and flaunts pieces from the collection while surrounded by his own ceramic creations. Also featured are bead artist Jaime Gerin, glassblower Cedric Mitchell, textile artist Sesan, surfboard shaper Kyle Albers and a custom “craft van” transformed into a full ceramics studio. The campaign drove $475,000 in media impact value, according to Launchmetrics.
“We have a deep understanding of our own brand, its heritage and our positioning, so we always start with that,” when it comes to choosing a campaign’s direction, Dashoff said.
She added, “Collaborations with other brands or designers help tell a story or enhance one we might not be able to accomplish on our own. We typically choose partners based on how desirable they are to our target consumer or whether they can connect with them in a significant way. We’re better together.”
Describing why this year’s campaigns resonated, Dashoff said, “Telfar was a bit sexy, all about feeling good in your skin, and The Elder Statesman tapped into craft and craftspeople with a bit of humor. We aim to make our consumer feel by [leaning into] what resonates with them.”
Ugg’s collaborations target fashion-forward Gen Zers and millennials, according to the brand.
Through this year’s Telfar partnership, “We grew our own audience of consumers and created buzz and excitement around our handbags,” Dashoff said.
The Elder Statesman collaboration, meanwhile, sold out quickly after its release on October 13. Items from the collaboration became popular on the resale market, with some pieces, such as the Patchwork Slides, reselling for up to $600.
