“Off The Wall” is Vans’s catchphrase, so for the cover we created an intricate debossing pattern and deployed a rarely used gritty varnish finish so that it looked and felt like a real brick wall.
House of Vans: If These Walls Could Talk
The leading footwear and apparel company Vans created a trailblazing marketing initiative called the House of Vans—venues where guests could come take part in concerts, workshops, skateparks, and more, all for free. To mark the tenth anniversary of House of Vans, the company wanted a special book that would be coveted by a diverse audience comprising brand ambassadors, everyday customers, and internal staff.
We set out to re-create in book form the experience of walking into the venues themselves. Since encouraging creativity is at the core of the brand’s values, we put together 20 DIY “workshops” sprinkled throughout the book.
OFF THE WALL
OBJECTS FROM THE HOUSE OF VANS
Scattered throughout the book, removable inserts help bring the House of Vans experience into the reader’s world. Flip through the pages and you’ll find everything from a wolf mask and a sticker sheet to a cartoon stencil and a make-your-own-shoe origami piece.
20 DIY WORKSHOPS
The art of graffiti, making skateboards from scratch, and more are skills taught by experts at House of Vans—but we also wanted to share them with readers at home. The book’s workshop spreads replicate these quintessential House of Vans experiences with step-by-step instructions and photos to empower the reader’s inner maker.
Making Noise
Inspired by the homemade zines that embodied ’90s counterculture, we developed a common graphic language based on visual “noise” to weave together disparate House of Vans experiences from many continents.
Commissioned Illustrations
We art-directed an illustrator to add comic-book-style character vignettes throughout the book—another element that gives continuity as well as enhances the feel of overflowing creativity and whimsy.
LAYERED, SCRAPBOOK LOOK
We scoured the archives of more than 50 photographers who shot at House of Vans locations around the world to create a jam-packed visual experience. The result was a layered, scrapbook-like style of storytelling that pays homage to the House of Vans vintage brand aesthetic.
