OUR STAGE IS NOW: IWC UNVEILS NEW CAMPAIGN WITH BRAND AMBASSADOR EILEEN GU
Schaffhausen, 25th January 2022 – Following the successful launch of new Pilot’s Watches, IWC Schaffhausen has unveiled an advertising campaign featuring Eileen Gu, its latest brand ambassador. Eighteen-year-old Gu is a rising freestyle skiing star, a sought-after fashion model and an aspiring university student. She uses her voice to drive change in her sport, aiming to inspire and empower the younger generation across the globe.
The new campaign pairs the skiing prodigy with the new Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41. This modern take on a classic design has a stainless-steel case in a compact 41-mm size, blue or green dial and an in-house movement. Exemplifying the performance, innovation and technical excellence of IWC’s legendary Pilot’s Watches, the Chronograph 41 also features a quickchange strap system, enabling the wearer to adapt their watch swiftly to different surroundings. With such a contemporary and versatile design, it’s the ideal choice for adventurers, athletes, fashion pioneers, and bright young talents, just like Gu.
Shot in a skateboard park and featuring action-packed imagery of Gu on a board, the new campaign is candid and challenging. In the TV spot, footage of Gu skating in the park and on the slopes is combined with her talking directly to the camera, asking the viewer to rethink preconceptions and push for their dreams, whatever they may be. She explains, “Our stage is not the future. Our stage is now”, as she speaks to her modern and multi-faceted generation.
“As the youngest member of the IWC family, Eileen has already accomplished more than many others manage in a lifetime. We are so happy to partner with Eileen on this new campaign to inspire the younger generation to break the boundaries, fully express themselves and pursue their dreams,”
In the campaign, Gu demonstrates perfectly the talent and determination she relies on in her career, expressing herself with confidence and passion. Joining the world of freestyle skiing when she was just eight, Gu has broken one record after another over the past decade, most recently becoming the first woman to land a forward double cork 1440 in 2021. She is currently enjoying an extraordinary competitive run, taking first place six times and second place twice in her last eight World Cup competitions in the US and Canada and becoming the first skier ever to win four consecutive freestyle World Cup competitions.
Eileen’s commitment stretches far beyond her achievements in sport or modeling. From the start of her career, she has made it a priority to be a voice of change and an activist for women’s empowerment, as well as a positive role model for the younger generation. She aims to inspire millions of young people to pursue their dreams and live meaningful lives a goal this new campaign perfectly encapsulates.
IWC Schaffhausen is the Engineer of Watchmaking. In 1868, the American watchmaker and engineer Florentine Ariosto Jones established the ‘International Watch Company’ in Schaffhausen in the German-speaking part of Switzerland. By combining the best of human craftsmanship and creativity with cutting-edge industrial technology and processes, he laid the foundation for IWC’s unique engineering approach to watchmaking.
IWC’s distinctive and pure design is brought to life through collections ranging from elegant dress watches to sports and luxury sports watches, notably the Portugieser, Portofino, Pilot’s Watches and Ingenieur. Over its more than 150-year history, IWC has earned a reputation for creating professional instrument watches and functional complications, especially chronographs and calendars, which are ingenious, robust and easy to use.
A pioneer in the use of titanium and ceramic, IWC specializes in performance materials such as Ceratanium®. IWC’s advanced engineering division XPL develops technologies that enhance the durability of mechanical watches and extend their applications to environments with extreme conditions such as jet aviation and human spaceflight.
IWC is a leader in luxury watchmaking, crafting timepieces built to last for generations and continuously improving every aspect of how it manufactures, distributes and services its watches responsibly. Empowering the next generation of engineers, the brand also partners with organizations that work globally to support children and young people. IWC. EngineeredTM.