AMPLIFY BY ATMOS: House of OPA
New Balance has transcended being just a brand and has become an integral part of the cultural fabric of DC. Collaborating with the creative minds at House of Opa we delved into the heart of the city to uncover the deep-rooted connection between New Balance and its loyal fan base in DC. Our mission was to shed light on the profound impact that this innovative footwear has had on the city and its people & create a home base for these stories at the #NBSE. Building connection & community while we celebrate the legacy and future of the brand.
We had the chance to chop it up with House of OPA to talk about DC, New Balance and more - prior to the release of the campaign. Check out the conversation below.
THE HOUSE OF OPA - CAN YOU TELL US MORE ABOUT WHAT IT REPRESENTS AND HOW IT CAME TO BE?
House of OPA represents a bunch of like-minded people that believe in creating intentional, timeless, and engaging work while also being a family. We pride ourselves on creating quality work and doing good business.
THE PHRASE 'ONE PLAY AWAY' IS SO POWERFUL - WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO YOU ALL PERSONALLY, AND HOW DOES IT INSPIRE YOUR WORK?
One Play Away derives from believing in yourself without going against what you stand for morally. It means never to give up no matter what life throws your way— remain consistent and faithful, move with love, and everything will work out for you. You're literally one play away from anything in life that you want to achieve. Things may not happen overnight, but we're firm believers in the saying, "WHEN, not if."
DC HAS A SPECIAL CONNECTION TO THE NEW BALANCE BRAND - CAN YOU SHARE WHY THIS CONNECTION IS SO IMPORTANT, AND HOW IT INFLUENCED THIS PROJECT?
This connection is so important because it just symbolizes what D.C. is all about. D.C. doesn't follow trends in any way, shape, or form. Down to our lingo, our fashion, and what we eat. The New Balance trend embodies one of the many trends we started, and it's time to give D.C. its flowers.
992 OR 990?
Breed: 990s. It kicked it off for me personally because it was the first model to really embark on its impact on the city from what I can remember. I love the 992, along with other models, but that 990 just feels like home.
Mario: 990, V2, to be exact. I'm into minimalism, and that shoe is the definition of less is more. Speaks for itself.
Yashi: 992 was my first pair of New Balance. My friend actually gifted them to me since I didn't have any. It's a pair of shoes that are sentimental to me, and I wish they would release new color ways as they did for the 2002s.
Carpio: Personally, the New Balance 992 perfectly combines sleek design with functional features, making it a shoe that is both stylish and versatile. Growing up, they were even a staple for wearing school uniforms. Fast forward to today, they still provide comfort, support, and a uniform style and have even become a staple shoe for our set productions. To further allude to my point, make sure to check out our recent campaign, "New Balance is D.C.," that we did with Atmos. It really highlights how we style and how verse it can be.
CREATIVITY IS SUCH AN ELUSIVE AND PERSONAL PROCESS - COULD YOU WALK US THROUGH SOME OF THE KEY STEPS AND INFLUENCES THAT WENT INTO BRINGING THIS PROJECT TO LIFE?
Honestly, this project was fairly easy to navigate through creatively. It's literally just a project that's telling us to talk about how we were raised and to get the perspectives of others while simultaneously merging our creative style into the traditional documentary. Our biggest goal was to educate, entice, and bring our community together, and we done a good job at executing that.
DC HAS SO MUCH TO OFFER - IF SOMEONE HAD A WEEKEND TO EXPLORE, WHAT TOP EXPERIENCES OR HIDDEN GEMS WOULD YOU RECOMMEND TO REALLY GET A FEEL FOR THE CITY'S ESSENCE?
I feel like the D.C. culture now is filled with so many dope creative events/pop-ups and good eats. D.C. is always adding another restaurant/speakeasy, and you can always count on the city to throw a nice event. Of course, you always have museums and monuments for the tourists, or even if you want that real D.C. to feel; you still have GoGo bands that play weekly.
THE HOUSE OF OPA SEEMS LIKE A PLACE WHERE INNOVATION AND COMMUNITY COME TOGETHER - CAN YOU GIVE US A SNEAK PEEK INTO WHAT EXCITING THINGS MIGHT BE ON THE HORIZON FOR YOUR TEAM AND PROJECTS?
We're excited to continue on our creative journey by continuing to bring our clients.' visions to life. We've discussed pop-up exhibits and community giveaways, and also we've talked about really leaving our mark in the city by branching out and investing in commercial space to have another hub for local creatives to come to, and really, it's just about adding to our resource list in the area and making creatives out here have access to more things.
Watch the full New Balance is DC filmed by House of OPA below: