Simons has launched a new nationwide brand campaign as it reaches for new heights in the retail space.

Conceptualized and executed by Toronto-based production studio Scouts Honour, the “Dress Yourself” campaign is set in an urban landscape where airborne dancers, cyclists and parkour athletes rise up to meet a swirl of Simons fashion pieces.

A 2 1/2 minute hero video, and accompanying 30-, 15- and six-second cutdowns, arrived on Thursday to coincide with the launch of Simons’ three-level, 112,000-square-foot location at Eaton Centre in downtown Toronto.

Simons VP of brand image Harry Tsantarolakis asked for creative work that would evoke joy and connection while showcasing the retailer’s product range to a broad national audience, according to a news release.

“‘Dress Yourself’ is about empowerment and self-expression: not an instruction but an invitation,” said Harry Tsantarolakis, VP of brand image at Simons. “Through this campaign we’re inviting Canadians to embrace their own identity and choose what makes them feel most themselves.”

Nationwide video, OOH and social activations will be amplified by high-visibility placements at Sankofa Square and Union Station in Toronto, at Cineplex Theatres and in in-flight video with Air Canada.

Simons says the opening of the Eaton Centre location represents a near-$100 million investment in Toronto that will create close to 400 new jobs in the metropolitan area. The company expects the expansion, which includes last month’s entry into urban Toronto at Yorkdale Mall, to boost annual sales by 15%.

The latest opening marks the 185-year-old Quebec City-based retailer’s 19th location in Canada and third in Ontario. Simons entered the province in 2016 at Mississauga’s Square One shopping centre.  

Created in collaboration with Gensler Design, LemayMichaud Architecture and Reliance Construction, Simons is positioning the Eaton Centre store as an amalgamation of fashion and art.

Alongside the location’s curated style environments is the Walk of Frames, a collection of 40 original Canadian works that includes the centrepiece 3D mural Permanent Structure 4 by Trevor Wheatley and Cosmo Dean of Toronto.  

Additionally, Montreal-based creative company Rodeo FX have followed up their on their contributions at Yorkdale with three immersive digital works.

National Public Relations worked on PR for the retail launch.

“At Simons, we believe fashion is one of the most powerful forms of self-expression – a daily opportunity to share who we are and what we value,” Simons president and CEO Bernard Leblanc said in a news release. “That belief is reflected in every part of this new store … opening at the iconic CF Toronto Eaton Centre is not just a milestone in our continued investment in the GTA and coast-to-coast growth – it’s a celebration of Toronto’s spirit and Canada’s place on the world stage.”