Journeys’ Music Video Remake Launches Mission to “Own the Mall”

For youth today, ‘Anemoia’ seems to be one of the prevailing themes of the 2020s. A term coined by writer and video maker John Koenig, it refers to a feeling of nostalgia for a time you’ve never known – a kind of wanderlust for the past that often manifests in fashion trends, media habits and a general despondence around the current state of art, culture and society as a whole.

Recognising this sentiment in gen z and gen alpha, the shoe retailer Journeys has launched its new brand platform ‘Life on Loud’, inviting the younger generations to embrace ‘90s-style mall culture, and find stylistic individuality at the cultural intersection of viral and vintage.

Developed with creative agency Anomaly, the launch campaign involves a reimagining of the New Radicals’ song ‘You Get What You Give’ and its music video – a rebellious concert-meets-rager in a shopping centre. Released in 1998, even the eldest in gen z will have no nostalgic memories of the original track nor the video from its heyday – and yet, the result captures these generations’ unapologetically anemoic stylings in an authentic way, both sonically and visually.

Speaking to LBB, Journeys CMO Stacy Doren says the new platform helps the brand re-cement its place as a hub for youth culture and music. “Journeys is more than a footwear retailer,” she says. “Whether it was MTV videos playing in-store, live music partnerships, or championing emerging artists – music is in our DNA.”

Journeys has witnessed a post-Covid resurgence of malls as ‘cool social spaces’ for teens beyond the digital realm, and so the brand has started to view its ~1000 physical stores, largely based in malls, as not just points of purchase but cultural touchpoints. “It’s influencing our marketing by making in-store experiences and activations even more important,” says Stacy. “We have a mission to ‘own the mall’, and our recent marketing reflects this.”

Anomaly creative directors Miklas Manneke and Fee Millist describe reaching the ‘Life on Loud’ positioning as an “a-ha moment” – a nod to Journeys being “the loudest stores in the mall” and a call to the next generations to embrace and express their own styles.

To launch the platform on max volume, Anomaly got New Radicals frontman Gregg Alexander on board to help recreate their hit song ‘You Get What You Give’ with singer-songwriter Gus Dapperton. Together, says Fee, they worked hard to make sure neither the track nor the throwback music video directed by CANADA director STILLZ, turned into a commercialised parody.

“Instead of telling people what it meant to do ‘Life on Loud’, we wanted to show them.
Teens, more than anyone, hate being told what to do, so that standard manifesto style of ‘we are brand, we are X and Y and Z’ was never an option for us,” she explains. “The New Radicals song ticked every box: anthemic lyrics that aligned with the ‘Life on Loud’ ethos, a video that was a raucous romp through Journeys’ home – the mall – and an infectious, optimistic teens-being-teens energy.”

“It’s more than just an iconic late ‘90s anthem; it’s a cultural touchstone about individuality, self-expression and the energy of youth,” adds Stacy. “These are beliefs Journeys has always stood for. As a brand with deep roots in music and teen culture, we saw this song and video as the perfect canvas to reimagine for a new generation and to launch our ‘Life on Loud’ platform.”

As well as singing, Gus Dapperton takes on Gregg Alexander’s role from the original music video, being the charismatic centrepiece of a riotous shopping mall performance. Recommended for the spot by Gregg himself, Fee describes Gus as an “eerily perfect” fit. “He’s genre-defying, non-conforming, and unapologetically original. Gus is ‘Life on Loud’ in human form. To top it off, Gus answered a Reddit AMA [Ask Me Anything] five years ago, saying that the New Radicals were one of his dream collaborators.

“So the real question here is, did Gregg find Gus? Or did Gus manifest this and find us? Either way, Gus nailed it, and I can’t imagine doing the spot with anyone else. Killer moves, killer vocals.”

Filming the jubilatory video, social extras and behind-the-scenes content involved two overnight shoots in a mall, over 100 extras, 25 featured talent and, Fee jokes, “1 million cups of coffee”. She says the production with CANADA, Radioaktive Film and DS Reps photographer Frankie Carino was “perfectly, brilliantly chaotic”, complete with surprise confetti cannons and “pure magic” from the cast’s spontaneous, genuine enthusiasm.

“A really important part of the shoot was finding the balance between reverence and reinvention,” adds Miklas. “[Balancing] the original music video (with Gregg’s blessing) and our unique perspective on it (thanks to STILLZ). This was a constant in every decision, from wardrobe, to film stock, to locations and scenes.” He also notes that everyone on screen was dressed and fitted with sneakers for each shoot, as well as unique merchandise from apparel brand CHAOS.

“From the beginning, we wanted this to be a real music video, not a spot dressed up as one,” agree the creative directors. “And it is. But that took bravery from the client and a lot of conversations to get there. At one point it was a 60-second ad. At another, the logo had to appear in the first three seconds. There were questions about the commercial viability of putting ice cream in a shoe! Through it all we kept coming back to the same North Star: ‘Is that how a music video would behave?’. If the answer was no, we pushed it back toward yes. That’s how we protected the integrity of the work.”

The Anomaly team also had to protect the authenticity of the work, creating visuals and messaging that would resonate with younger generations. “Really, it was about taste,” says Fee. “What looks cool? What feels current? What would gen z and gen alpha actually want to share? Having gen z-ers on the team was invaluable; they’re living this culture in real time. Shoutout to our junior copywriter, Morgan, who reviews my copy for millennial cringe!”

“And shoutout to Maya, our junior art director,” adds Miklas, “and the vision behind the mall animals update to the mopeds.”

Another important update to the music video was the inclusion of influencers, like Kitty Lever, Sara Fernandez, and Angelina, among others, hand-picked by Journeys and Anomaly for their realness and dedication to living 'Life on Loud'.

“We deliberately leaned on micro and mid-level creators,” says Fee. “For us, it was about authenticity over reach. They appear in the video as background actors, dancers and bandmates. They extended the story through behind-the-scenes and native content on their own channels. The main criteria for selection was simple: distinct personal style. We wanted people who already embodied the spirit of the campaign so it didn’t feel like casting; it felt like holding a mirror up to a loudass life that pulls you in with both hands.”

“They were showing the film from their own angles and bringing it to life in unique ways,” adds Miklas, “so it started to take on a pulse of its own. The set was buzzing with that energy. At any given moment there were 10 mini-shoots happening alongside the big one, and that made everything feel infectious.”

He continues, “‘Life on Loud’ was always meant to be more than a tagline; it’s an ethos for living. There isn’t a more uncertain time in recent history to be a teen, so we needed an optimistic rebellion – against culture, against algorithms, against everyone telling you who to be. A call for teens to get off their phones and back into real life. And it came in song form.”

“We want to encourage our core target to turn up the volume on who they are and express themselves without holding back,” says Stacy, reflecting on what the platform means to the Journeys team. “It’s about embracing individuality, creativity, and confidence in all forms.”

Going forward, ‘Life on Loud’ will go beyond the launch song and music video, with more music partnerships, social-first storytelling, in-store activations and community programmes. “This is more than just a singular campaign,” adds the CMO, “it’s our evergreen platform and a mindset that we’ll continue to build from. The New Radicals remake is just the beginning… more to come!”