NOBULL is trying to change the way we consume their fitness products and content. The fitness footwear, apparel, and accessory brand has built a considerable amount of momentum in the training space with their shoes and elite athlete signings. For example, just this year, they had three-time Reebok CrossFit Games champion, Tia-Clair Toomey, and two-time Reebok CrossFit Games champion, Katrin Davidsdottir, sign with them.
NOBULL has recently announced a new venture for their brand: a Fitness Film Festival and short film. The NOBULL Fitness Film Festival will take place on November 23, 2019 in a warehouse in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. At the event NOBULL will also be premiering their first-ever short film.
BarBend had the chance to catch up with the two founders of NOBULL, Michael Schaeffer and Marcus Wilson, to get the inside scoop around the “why” behind the Fitness Film Festival and their short film.
It has always been about storytelling for NOBULL. And while the advertising and selling part is obviously a major component, Schaeffer explained there’s much more to the story.
“It has always been about the attitude of the brand and the attitude of the athletes. It is this whole no excuses mindset; that nothing comes easy and you have to work for it. The shoes aren’t going to do the work for you, and that’s how we built the brand and the content on. So, now, we’re going really deeply on that and creating a longer piece together with our athletes.”
The aforementioned longer piece that Schaeffer hinted at is the short film that will be revealed at the festival.
“We wanted to create a piece that really dives into the lives of our athletes and what it takes to become like them and what that entails,” Schaeffer said.
“We pride ourselves on creating high quality products, but at the same time really high quality content,” Schaeffer said. “We began with just taking photos in our garages and not really knowing what we’re doing, but having the aspiration to create compelling stories for consumers. It’s evolved since then, and now we have an amazing content and marketing team in house.”
With the film festival, it seems like NOBULL is truly trying to nail every part of their story. “It was in a warehouse that we launched the brand after working out of our homes and garages,” Schaeffer said. “We love the barebones to anything we do, so we’re going back to our roots.”
Outside of highlighting NOBULL’s growth, the Fitness Film Festival is also designed to highlight the fitness community, and they’ve invited people to submit their work to be shown at the event (with the deadline being on October 31st).
They have created a website for the Fitness Film Festival which includes information around how submit work, how to get tickets, and more.
“[The Fitness Film Festival] is to celebrate fitness and training, and the broader community,” Wilson said. “NOBULL at its core is a training brand that works hard and we don’t believe in excuses. That is not going to change, and we’re just looking to highlight that in more unique ways. A Fitness Film Festival is truly a unique way of celebrating that aspect of people.”
Featured image from @nobullproject Instagram page.
