James Franco Presents the 'Man Box' for Zalando

BERLIN, MARCH 9, 2017 // For Spring/Summer 2017, online fashion destination Zalando is launching the It’s A Man Box Campaign; dedicated to the modern man of today. Together with actor and filmmaker James Franco, Zalando created a campaign film showing men how they can make their style decisions with the ‘Man Box’.
 

Besides offering women’s fashion with brands from high to low, Zalando has the perfect selection of fashion for men too. The online retailer offers men brands that allow them to express their individual personality through a wide range of styles for every occasion. In a casual, cool and charming way, James Franco shows men that they should not be afraid to shop. He speaks directly into the camera, stating that men should master their own look.

James Franco knows what men are about and speaks for many when saying “We don’t like to shop” because “We don’t shop, we decide”. Most men like sports, some might like to cook or perhaps catch a prize fish, but shopping isn’t considered something that this majority enjoy. Whatever men like, they can still do, and do so while looking good, because Zalando makes men’s style decisions as easy as possible.

“We are excited to let men know that we are the style destination for the modern men of today as well. With ‘It’s A Man Box’, we want to demonstrate that we understand how men like to shop by not telling them what to wear, but showing them where to get their favourite brands. Together with James Franco’s subtle humour, the campaign inspires our male customers and encourages them to make their own style choices.’’ says Carsten Hendrich, VP Brand Marketing Zalando.

The ‘It’s A Man Box’ campaign film was shot on the streets of LA, acted in and directed by James Franco himself. The campaign video is part of a full 360-degree approach, further supported across global platforms with Print and OOH. Zalando’s SS17 Men’s Campaign will go live on 12th March 2017 across all Zalando countries.

Please visit Zalando.xx for further information and style inspiration.

#zalandostyle

www.zalando.com/manbox/

NOTES TO EDITORS

CAMPAIGN FILM
Concept: Zalando
Creative Directon: Zalando
Creative Director and Consultant to Mr. Franco: Amir Zia
Film Director: James Franco
D.O.P.: Bruce Cheung
Styling: Karen Langley/ Katie Mossmann
Hair Stylist: Nana Fisher
Make Up Artist: Nana Fisher
Talent: James Franco
Production: Rabbit Bandini
Post Production: Consulate, New York

CAMPAIGN STILLS
Concept: Zalando
Creative Direction: Chang Lin, Zalando
Photographer: Maciek Kobielski
Styling: Karen Langley
Production: Jaw Productions
Talent: James Franco
Models: Andrew Hussey, Kaleb Ressler, Race Imboden, Kandall Harrison, Phil Sullivan

ABOUT ZALANDO
Zalando (https://corporate.zalando.com) is Europe’s leading online fashion platform for women, men and children. We offer our customers a one-stop, convenient shopping experience with an extensive selection of fashion articles including shoes, apparel and accessories, with free delivery and returns. Our assortment of over 1,500 international brands ranges from popular global brands, fast fashion and local brands, and is complemented by our private label products. Our localized offering addresses the distinct preferences of our customers in each of the 15 European markets we serve: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Poland and the United Kingdom. Our logistics network with three centrally located fulfilment centres in Germany allows us to efficiently serve our customers throughout Europe. We believe that our integration of fashion, operations and online technology give us the capability to deliver a compelling value proposition to both our customers and fashion brand partners. Zalando’s shops attract over 160 million visits per month. In the second quarter of 2016, around 65 per cent of traffic came from mobile devices, resulting in 18.8 million active customers by the end of the quarter.

ABOUT JAMES FRANCO
JAMES FRANCO is a multi-hyphenate actor, director, producer, author and university lecturer. He began receiving critical acclaim early on in his career, winning a Golden Globe for his portrayal of James Dean in TNT’s 2001 biopic. Franco has been recognized with countless award nominations for both his comedic and dramatic work, including PINEAPPLE EXPRESS (Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor), SPRING BREAKERS, and 127 HOURS, the lattermost for which he received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. Franco will next be seen in New Line's upcoming THE DISASTER ARTIST, which he directed and produced. Based on the book of the same name, the film recounts the making of THE ROOM, a cult classic now known as “the best worst movie ever made.” Set to debut at the 2017 SXSW Film Festival, THE DISASTER ARTIST features Franco alongside a stellar cast including Dave Franco, Seth Rogen, Zac Efron and Bryan Cranston. Later this year, Franco will take his talents to HBO with the premiere of THE DEUCE, a series about the emergence of porn in NYC during the 1970s and ‘80s. Franco takes on the dual role of twins “Vincent” and “Frankie Martino,” while also sharing producing duties with creator David Simon and serving as director for two of the ten episodes. Franco began his career on the fan-favorite TV series FREAKS AND GEEKS, opposite friend and frequent collaborator Seth Rogen. The two have teamed up for some of the most beloved comedies of the past decade, including PINEAPPLE EXPRESS, THIS IS THE END and THE INTERVIEW. Franco’s international success came by way of his role as “Harry Osborn” in Sam Raimi’s SPIDERMAN trilogy. Shortly after wrapping the final installment, he returned to UCLA to complete his bachelor’s degree in creative writing. He went on to receive MFAs from Columbia, NYU, RISD and Brooklyn College before enrolling at Yale University for his Ph.D., all while continuing to balance his acting and directing career. Franco’s commercial success has continued through the years with blockbuster films like OZ THE GREAT AND POWERFUL and WHY HIM. He returned to the small screen in 2016 for the well-received limited series 11.22.63, which he produced with J.J. Abrams. He is also an Emmynominated producer for his digital sketch series MAKING A SCENE, the third season of which premieres this year. In addition to his film and educational work, Franco is a successful author with several books published to date.

CONTACT ZALANDO
Jolanda Smit / Global Head of Brand Comms and PR
jolanda.smit@zalando.de
+49 176 127 59 223