There is perhaps no single better song to soundtrack RIMOWA's luggage than Daft Punk's "Around the World," a revolution in dance music since its release in 1997. However, even a couple years ago, it would've been impossible to imagine the two together: the track had never been used for a brand's campaign, until now.
Now's the perfect time for the pair to partner up: RIMOWA is unveiling a campaign that celebrates its inimitable Classic Cabin suitcase — y'know, the one that people literally take around the world — dubbed “Ingenieurskunst.” It's a German word that literally translates as “The Art of Engineering,” a very appropriate term for RIMOWA's process.
Since its inception nearly 130 years ago, RIMOWA has humbly produced nothin' but quality luggage. Originally founded as a manufacturer of lightweight wooden boxes, RIMOWA has since become synonymous with exquisite aluminum suitcases that are meant to last forever, wherever they go.
Hence the importance of this Daft Punk song in RIMOWA's “Ingenieurskunst” campaign, directed by I AM HERE and created in partnership with Anomaly Berlin.
“The campaign pays tribute to the legacy of German engineering behind the iconic Classic Cabin suitcase, but it is also an ode to the travelers who take their RIMOWA suitcases on journeys around the world, hence the tagline 'From Germany to the world,'” RIMOWA CMO, Emelie De Vitis, told Highsnobiety.
Though Daft Punk is technically defunct, its members surveyed the RIMOWA campaign from start to finish, even approving the orchestral remix performed by an orchestra based in Cologne, the city in which RIMOWA was founded.
“For a long time, our engineers have described our manufacturing process as a symphony—so it only made sense to collaborate with an orchestra to really bring that sentiment to life and create an actual symphony,” De Vitis continued. “Daft Punk loved the idea as well... so we reached out to the Gürzenich Orchestra and the rest is history.”
Cleverly, the musical cue is tied to a specific moment of the Classic Cabin's construction, reflecting RIMOWA's core conceit (effortless, luxurious travel) in a crucial moment indicative of the hands-on fabrication core to the LVMH-owned brand's ethos.
“The symphony comes as an unexpected twist in the film, beginning at a pivotal moment during our production process, which is called the ‘Hochzeit,’ meaning ‘wedding’ in German,” De Vitis explained. “It’s the moment when two shells come together.”
It's a theatrical moment befitting a theatrical score, which customers will be able to experience first-hand, sorta: RIMOWA will soon roll out an augmented reality experience to accompany the campaign, granting viewers intimate audience with RIMOWA's assembly line, as it prepares its precious cases for their eventual journeys around the world.
