Edgy fashion label John Varvatos may be bold enough to house a retail store in the former location of legendary punk club CBGB, but now seems they’re rock’n’roll enough for Green Day. The pop-punk trio follows in the footsteps of the Roots, Alice Cooper and Iggy Pop as the new face of Varvatos in the brand’s Spring/Summer 2012 campaign.
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Shot by Danny Clinch, the campaign features Green Day modeling and dangling on crossbeams over New York City, echoing both Philippe Petit’s “Man on Wire” act and Charles C. Ebbets’ classic photo “Construction Workers Lunching on a Crossbeam.” Draped in leather and denim, band members Billie Joe Armstrong, Mike Dirnt and Tre Cool look casual-chic in the ad.
Stephen Niedzweicki, creative director of Yard (the agency that worked with Varvatos on the campaign) spoke out about the campaign, telling WWD, “We were moved by ‘Man on Wire,’ where a man traverses a tightrope illegally rigged between the World Trade Center’s Twin Towers, 110 stories up. It’s portrayed in such an inspiring and beautiful way, but there’s so much danger and rebellion involved. It’s also incredibly rock’n’roll to go to any lengths to have the best view of New York City — and to be so high.”
The photos are now appearing on the official Varvatos website, alongside a short film by Clinch chronicling the shoot and featuring a mashup of Green Day riffs. Watch below.