Problem
Defining a cultural icon
The first boot was born on 1 April 1960 in Wollaston, England, and was so called the “1460”. For the six decades since, Dr. Martens has transcended youth and subcultures demonstrating its unrivalled appeal and ability to underpin trends.
The brand remains as relevant now as ever. It is still being adopted by those looking to express their individual style and attitude and who appreciate uncompromising quality and durability. Original icons, led by the 1460 boot, 1461 shoe and 2976 Chelsea boot, sit at the core of the product architecture and inform the aesthetics for all other footwear categories.
Working together for the first time following an extremely competitive pitch process in late 2021, Dr. Martens and 330 set about producing an Annual Report with a highly crafted editorial feel that stood out from the pack. Our immediate challenge was getting to know the business inside out, something we as an agency pride ourselves on. Refreshingly, we had the opportunity to meet and engage with stakeholders in key strategic positions across the business prior to developing creative and messaging.
Solution
True brand custodians
A key requirement was to showcase the new sustainability strategy – Planet, Product, People – and to present roadmaps towards achieving their long-term commitments. Working closely with the sustainability team, we recommended and partnered with external consultants who provided support across the ESG spectrum – from risk/impact and materiality assessments through to ESG strategy and impactful reporting.
Alongside showcasing progress against their DOCS strategy and integrating the new sustainability strategy, a core theme came to light ‘True brand custodians’ – dedicated to meaningfully recognising their brand custodians without using tired, generic and frankly overused corporate reporting expressions. We created an Annual Report (only their second since listing early in 2021) which was designed to pay homage to a key stakeholder, Docs people – the true custodians of the brand.
We captured custodian photography throughout the UK, US, and Japan to successfully deliver the creative theme. The new suite of imagery was key to the theme and we’re extremely proud of the warm and engaging reportage style featured throughout.
To further elevate the Annual Report, we delivered a bespoke corporate video that served as a powerful companion piece. The video brought the report to life, visually highlighting key achievements and progress against their sustainability strategy. It featured engaging storytelling that aligned with the report’s central theme and reinforced the importance of "Docs people" as the true custodians of the brand, providing a deeper emotional connection to the written content.
Impact
A reporting leader
330 has now undertaken several reporting projects with the Docs team, all meeting and exceeding all regulatory requirements. This has been formally recognised by multiple industry shortlists and awards, most recently not only winning ‘Best FTSE 250 Annual Report’, but also the overall ‘Grand Prix’ winners at the 2022 Strategic Comms Awards. We were also shortlisted at the 2023 IR Society Best Practice Awards with Docs 2023 Annual Report being highly commended in the mid cap category.
330 also collaborate on a wide range communications requirements with the Docs team, ranging form investor presentation material through to product and brand presentations.
We are proud to collaborate with such an iconic brand with over 60 years of heritage. Feedback has been phenomenal, what’s more, people from around the business have also commented how thrilled they are to be featured and recognised as a true brand custodian, creating a real sense of pride and amplifying their individuality within the the various communications.
