(MAHWAH, N.J.) – September 9, 2020 – Now more than ever, it feels good to get outside. For John Mayer, a journey into the Redwoods of Northern California earlier this year underscored that point, as the musician explored Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park behind the wheel of his favorite vehicle, the new 2020 Land Rover Defender. The experience is captured in “John Mayer Goes Outside,” a new advertising campaign from Atlantic Re:think and Land Rover.
A six-minute film anchors the new collaboration, featuring John Mayer driving the 2020 Land Rover Defender along the golden coastline of Northern California, stopping to hike with a local guide and practice fly fishing along the way. Reflecting on the power and necessity of escaping routine to be outdoors, Mayer says in the film: “I don’t think you can come out here and get any other message from yourself other than, ‘You’re alright. You’re okay.’” The film was shot over a three-day period in March, just before the pandemic took hold of the United States, and the collaboration includes behind-the-scenes images and videos from the shoot.
Developed in partnership with the agency of record for Land Rover, dentsu X, John Mayer Goes Outside resonates even more today as Americans look to the country’s natural wilderness for escape from quarantine. The shoot marked Mayer’s first time in Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park and first time driving the new Land Rover Defender, a vehicle Mayer has history with as he has been a Defender enthusiast and owner for more than a decade.
“We wanted to capture the experience of being outdoors, in a way that didn't feel forced or scripted. In other words, get John Mayer in his favorite car and show him a good time in the wilderness,” says Jeremy Elias, executive creative director of Atlantic Re:think. “The trip has taken on new meaning in the months since we filmed, and so has the brand's message of embracing the power and beauty of the great outdoors.”
“John Mayer, in addition to being an incredibly accomplished musician, is a gear aficionado with a passion for all things mechanical,” said Stuart Schorr, Vice President of Communications, Jaguar Land Rover North America. “He has been watching the development of the new Defender, and we have been keenly aware of his Defender collection as well as frankly being fans of his music. We are so proud he’s one of the first people in the United States to get in a Defender, and that he was able to share his poetic take on exploring America’s national parks.”
The campaign also encourages readers to explore the outdoors by highlighting National Parks and State Parks across the country, commanding: “Close Your Computer. Turn Off Your Phone. Go Outside.”
Recent Atlantic Re:think projects include a graphic novel about the 1921 Tulsa massacre for HBO’s Watchman, an interactive public art installation for Lincoln, and a live midterm-election tracker for Netflix’s House of Cards. For each of these campaigns, Re:think’s approach has been about creating a profound experience that encourages the audience to not just consume the product but build a relationship with it. The New York-based Atlantic Re:think team is led by Elias and Chief Revenue Office and Publisher Hayley Romer.