What moves you, makes you

Montblanc’s new global brand campaign – What Moves You, Makes You – brings to life the Maison’s mission to inspire people to express their full potential on their own terms, and celebrates those who have found their own original path to rewriting the codes of success for the 21st century.

Luxury Maison reintroduces itself to the world with the help of three exceptional individuals and highlights authentic stories supporting the idea that following your passion defines you as a person. The campaign captures the inspiring journeys of award-winning screenwriter and filmmaker Spike Lee with a legacy that has impacted culture in undeniable ways, actor Taron Egerton with an incredible journey ahead of him, and actor and school founder Chen Kun who constantly finds new ways to give back to his community while pursuing his love for creativity.

“With this new campaign, we are engaging with a new global generation of leaders and professionals, inspiring them to achieve their full potential as they journey through a life led by passion. It expresses a new aspiration to live a life where the professional and personal don’t compete with each other, but enrich one another. While at different stages in their careers, the three creative catalysts we are spotlighting are living proof that following what moves you, ultimately leads you to a place of fulfilment and success,” says Vincent Montalescot, Montblanc EVP Marketing.

The new platform and campaign underscores Montblanc’s core belief that everyone can leave a mark; not just by leaving a stamp on their way to success, but enjoying the journey along the way and pursuing endeavours that inspire and excite at every turn. As part of this campaign, Montblanc is introducing ‘Mark Makers’, the passionate doers who pursue what they love and follow intuition over directions. Driven by a higher purpose and a love of what they do, they embody the values of those who are changing the face of what success really means, with their willingness to make things happen paired with the inspirational mind-set that makes them stand out.

With What Moves You, Makes You, Montblanc is establishing itself as the ‘Maison of Luxury Business Lifestyle’. “As a Maison founded by pioneers who set out to create innovative products for those seeking to make their mark in the world, this campaign is in fact an evolved expression of our DNA. The way people work has changed, and priorities and values have shifted, therefore we felt it was time to redefine the codes of success to reflect the changes are customers are experiencing,” adds Nicolas Baretzki, Montblanc CEO. “Being a ‘mark maker’ is a different way of thinking. It is no longer about status or reaching the top but it’s about the meaningful, purposeful and enriching journey we take to get there, and the people we impact on our way.”

The integrated campaign brings to life the authentic, real stories and unique perspectives of three Mark Makers through a series of films, print, digital, out of home and social content that personify the idea of What Moves You, Makes You. Each Mark Marker is celebrated in a 60-second film, which reflects their authentic journey:

Spike Lee, writer and director, Academy Award Winner, USA

For the screenwriter who writes all his scripts by hand, the focus is on his career as a storyteller. As we hear him writing the script, we see flashbacks of what inspired his burning passion for writing and filmmaking: the city of Brooklyn, the people of Brooklyn, his family, films, and personal experiences. His story inspires others to pursue what they’re passionate about by highlighting the incredible legacy of someone who followed their passion from an early age.

Taron Egerton, actor, Golden Globe Winner, UK

For the talented actor, it’s pursuing roles that inspire and excite him that moves him. In this film, we see Taron heading off into the city of New York. This small journey represents a much larger one: Taron’s journey in his career, and where he sees himself going as an actor. In a twist of magical realism, we see what he’s thinking on billboards around the city. His story inspires others to pursue their own potential as the young actor is seen in the process of pursuing his.

Chen Kun, singer, actor and writer, China

He is moved by his mentorship of younger actors at an acting school he founded called ‘The Dome Studio’, and often writes personal notes to his students. In this film, we hear a letter written by Chen being read aloud as we see various moments from real students at the Dome Studio taking acting classes, improvising, dance and more. The story aims to inspire people to live a life of authenticity and substance by featuring someone giving back to their community in a way that aligns with their passions and interests.

Created by award-winning agency Wieden + Kennedy Amsterdam, the campaign rolls out globally from the end of August 2020, and will deliver the message that, What Moves You, Makes You, and that Montblanc products are made to accompany you on your journey as you pursue what you love.

Photos © Montblanc