It's not about the destination
It’s not about the destination; it’s about the journey.
We all preach it, but it’s something that is easily forgotten as we chase powder, waves and moments around the world. A journey in February, deep within the Arctic circle, tucked away at a frontier named the “End of the world” by us for this occasion, made it oh so real for everyone involved.
“Feels like –35 C”. The weather put us in the corner, as we made our way north of the north to set up camp for the upcoming gathering of creatives. We’d sent out a handful of invites in the time prior, inviting friends of the brand to a gathering around the launch of Db’s latest collection. We were destined for Nordkapp; the northernmost point of Norway and the continent, in summer a lush hub for exploring van lifers, but in deep winter an abyss of darkness and weather. In some sense it’s much like the Weigh Lighter™ collection; one day it’s can be nicely highlighting the streets of any major creative hub, and the other high up in the jagged terrain of the most extreme of outdoors. A yin and a yang.
And this time around, we got a real taste of the north. While the creative team drove ahead and got stuck in a valley without food and heat, the rest of the convoy of Ineos trucks battled mountain passes and four meters of visibility through the landscape. Snacks were consumed and deprived. Laps were posted on Strava as they waited for trucks to clear the roads. Stories were shared and bonds were made. In the end, the 3-hour drive turned into 8,5. Dinner got served at 00:30. Everyone made it to the cabins at Nordkapp, just a bit delirious.
The next day was all about learning, testing, and sharing experiences about design philosophies and ultimately; Weigh Lighter™. Amongst the 13 people, two chairs were empty; the Db design team never made it through the storm and connected on link from 400 km down the road to answer all questions about everything design. As the winds took a time-out, we kitted up and headed out to hike the Arctic mountains. Some local eyebrows must’ve been raised as the convoy of white backpacks made its way over the mountain and into the abyss, only to appear back over the horizon a couple of hours later, just in time for dawn, a warm lunch and ultimately dinner and bottles of wine to kill the noise of the winds ripping through the landscape. Oh, and amongst road closures we got to go to the actual cape. It was windy, to say the least, and best relived through Instagram stories and reels. Just dial down the volume before you press play. RIP headphones.
The third day in the north saw us say goodbye to half the crew, and starting the campaign shoot. With stronger winds on the horizon, we tucked away under rock formations and buildings to capture the content needed. It was a story of rinse and repeats; pack up, head out and capture – then head back, warm up, dry up and recharge. Then do it all again. Only one camera broke, and all bags made it. We’ll file that as a win in the world of Db productions.
We left the north cape of Norway after six days of battling the weather. We got to experience the north and its raw nature. We were knocked off our feet, both figuratively with new friends and experiences, as well as literately, as we tried to navigate the cape. A couple of thousands of kilometres later, the team parked up in Stockholm, unloading bags, accessories, and hard drives with content. The result is the Weigh Lighter™ campaign; a story about the journey, pushing it to-, and maybe a bit past, the limit.
