Ambassadors, depending on your brand, are indispensable. At first glance, they appear to be laid-back characters flying around the world doing what they enjoy as work, and while it seems a bit glamorous, you may not realize they possess a unique perseverance (mental toughness, physical conditioning, competitive drive, adaptability, versatility, endurance, tenacity etc.) that is more essential than just their ‘talent’. There are obvious types of advertising billboards, but it’s no exaggeration to say that the impact of these ambassador’s existence greatly influences the future of a brand. The Deus Ambassadors are no exception.
Earlier this summer, Sierra Lerback & Jared Mell, visited Japan for the Greenroom Festival, a promotional activation. Yet while in Japan, Sierra held a Women’s surf session and Jared Mell got his hands dusty in our shaping bay as well. As I was selecting photos for upcoming articles, ‘Jared Mell shaping in Japan’ and ‘DEUS Womens × YR One Day Surf Session’ for BLUE magazine and HONEY online magazine, I realized there were plenty of great unused images, so I composed a Deus Japan trip-blog.
From the beginning to end of their trip, I couldn't help but notice their constant smiling faces and recalled a Japanese proverb, “Laugh and grow fat, good fortune and happiness will come to the home of those who smile”. It’s a saying everyone in Japan knows but these two unknowingly embody this, and so I want to acknowledge they are fine ambassadors as they "have skill but also possess that special perseverance". The "smile" that they have acquired as artists and travellers is the skill that they have attained as a way to live life.
In my youth, greetings and goodbyes to the good friends I played with every day was always "MATA ASHITA” (again tomorrow) has it has also become my popular greeting among adults. As an adult, I can't play as much every day for ‘reasons’, but it seems that it was just yesterday that I sent off my friends (ambassadors) with such good vibrations.
We would like to take this opportunity to thank DEUS HQ, Deus Indonesian crew, & Nathan Webster for their collaboration to an ambassador’s commitment? "See you tomorrow~" “MATA ASHITA~”
All Photos by Atsuo Itakura
