The latest advertising from women's surf, snowboard and fitness brand Roxy, building on its "Welcome to the New Cute" platform, hits us from Fred & Farid Los Angeles. It's simply titled "O.M.G."—and is replete with totally apt OMG moments.
It opens with the tagline and title, which appear in yellow over a spray of turquoise waves. Athletes of note appear in all their glory—surfing, skiing, plunging their sore bodies into ice, jogging, swimming with sharks, and just generally being active and awesome.
Sometimes they faceplant, sometimes they bleed, but every moment receives the same incredulous reaction.
The objective is to bring nuance to the word "cute," probably the adjective that most commonly comes to mind when contemplating a Roxy outfit … which doesn't make the brand (or those who buy it) any less performance-ready. In the same way cute can mean many things, so can "Oh my god," expressed here in variations of admiration, shock, and everything in between.
The film is interspersed with TikTok footage of athletes on Roxy's roster: Olympic snowboarding gold medalist Chloe Kim appears here, as does two-time longboard world champion Kelia Moniz, surfing while pregnant. Other athletes include Stephanie Gilmore, Torah Bright, Lisa Andersen, Sam Bloom, Vahine Fierro, Megan Godinez, Bruna Zaun, Emily Arthur, Brinkley Davies, Tess Ledeux, Maggie Voisin, Megan Oldham, Aimee Fuller, Kelis Malia, Lei Kaleopa'a, Malia Kaleopa'a, Hinatea Boosie, Meg Roh, Danielle Black Lyons, Tiara Bella, Izzi Gomez, Caroline Marks, Suelen Naraisa, Monica Eleogram and Bruna Schmitz.
This is a packed reel of high-intensity athleticism (not to mention the glories and injuries that accompany that level of training). But the work maintains a soothing rhythm, like watching waves crash on the surf from a peaceful distance, even while knowing those same waves could conceivably break you in half.
In other words, while you may feel admiration, it also doesn't necessarily light a fire under your ass, which is welcome. It's also a vibe that honors Roxy's unique position in the sporting space—it's the first and only exclusively female global action sports brand—without feeling trite, or looking too much like Nike.
The film ends with a revision of its title exclamation: A silent, simple "Oh my Goddess."
Cute! But as Roxy and the agency team effectively signal here, you can be that and be formidable. This is as much a rereading of what performance looks like as it is of the terms that inspire the film.
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