Roshambo, a story about love and clothes

The video above may look like a short romance movie, but it is, in fact, an advertisement for the clothing brand Free People and a good way of using storytelling in a commercial. The company uses frequently this technique, in order to promotes its brand or its new collections. The "Our story" section from the company's website almost begins with "one upon a time": Back in the 1970's, a young man named Dick Hayne planted a seed in the maze of streets and trees that make up West Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He opened a store and called it Free People. Free People nurtured the young people who lived there and shopped there, who looked for a little of their own freedom in the clothes they wore.  

The clothes are not in the center of the video, they’re just “supporting characters”, so the viewer can focus on the story itself, following it from the beginning until the end. But, although the clothes are only an element in the background, the viewer has the feeling that if this element had been different, the bohemian and romantic atmosphere of the video wouldn't have been complete. The characters are played by two young actors, Christopher Abbott and Sheila Marquez, so the target groups aimed by the brand can relate to them and believe in the possibility of living something similar. The decision not to pick very famous actors is justified: it allows the story to stand out.

Given the fact the commercial is three and a half minutes long, it cannot be broadcasted on a tv station. But that wasn't even the intention of its creators. The video can, instead, be used in the company's showrooms, but, most of all, in the online world, on the many platforms through which the brand tries to keep in touch with its customers.

Finally, the video is called Roshambo and suggests a connection with the name of the brand. Roshambo is, actually, the short form for Rock-paper-scissors, a hand game usually seen as a choosing method in a way similar to coin flipping, drawing straws, or throwing dice. So, the video, as well as the brand itself, tries to speak to whose who choose freely, like to make decisions on the spot and improvise, defy rules and conventions.

Alexandra Marta