Nostalgia and giant shells: how Axel Arigato welcomes 2025

In its first campaign of the year, the Swedish brand continues to explore its fascination with the imaginary worlds born in the minds of children, but with a completely unique twist: At A Snail’s Pace takes this concept to a new level, creating a space where time seems to stand still, with life-size snail shells as the perfect backdrop.

Inspired by the memories of Jens Werner, the brand’s creative director, who as a child collected shells and small treasures, this campaign invites us to travel back in time to those worlds created inside shoeboxes, where small objects came to life in their own universe. The central element: snail shells handmade by artist Jon Buck, in a collaboration that adds a layer of tangible magic to Werner’s vision. Moulded clay and jesmonite give shape to these giant cocoons, representing a metaphor for the slowness, rest and reflection that January brings.

‘I wanted to bring a sense of fun and surprise to this campaign as we enter 2025. January is a time of peace, a time to recharge our batteries and prepare for what’s to come,’ explains Werner. ‘The snails, creatures that epitomise slowness and introspection, were the perfect image to convey this feeling. It all stemmed from my childhood, from those moments when I turned shoeboxes into little worlds with my shells and memories. With Jon Buck, we managed to make that fantasy tangible, creating a space that invites calm after the frenzy of the holidays’.

The result is a campaign that fuses the whimsical with the contemplative, an invitation to slow down, take a breath and connect with the small details of life. Axel Arigato’s proposal? To pause, enjoy the present and let the rhythm of January guide us.