Karsten presents the Ciclos collection in a campaign about roots, authenticity, and transformation
Filmed in Madagascar, the campaign transforms memories, experiences, and a sense of belonging into a brand narrative
Karsten presents the Ciclos (Cycles) collection, a concept exploring the relationship between roots, identity, memory, belonging, and transformation. Filmed in Madagascar, Africa, the campaign draws upon the country’s biodiversity and landscapes to craft a narrative about individual journeys and each person’s capacity for renewal throughout life.
The project is rooted in the understanding that, even in a landscape where technology and artificial intelligence play an increasingly prominent role in communication, human experiences remain essential to creating stories that foster genuine connection. For Karsten, creativity, innovation, and technology can work in tandem, while cultural background, emotion, and lived experiences gain significance in forging connections between brands and people.
Madagascar as a setting for transformation
The choice of Madagascar as the campaign’s setting goes beyond aesthetics. Renowned worldwide for its unique biodiversity, the territory embodies the collection’s core concepts—such as evolution, connection, resilience, renewal, and continuity.
A key symbol in the narrative is the baobab, known as the “Tree of Life.” Found in the Morondava region, the species is associated with the strength of roots, continuity, and the ability to withstand the passage of time.
The landscapes of Nosy Iranja and Nosy Be also feature in the campaign, helping to visually convey the themes of transformation, connection, and renewal that inspire Ciclos.
Memories and experiences in the construction of identity
The collection’s concept stems from the idea that identity and a sense of belonging are constructed over the course of a lifetime. Origins, memories, encounters, and experiences accumulate and take on new meanings throughout each person’s journey.
The collection invites the audience to recognize the strength inherent in these processes of transformation and to value the different versions of self that emerge over time. The cyclical nature of life serves as a metaphor for this capacity for renewal, expansion, and transformation.
“Technology expands possibilities, but it is people’s experiences, emotions, and lived moments that give meaning to stories. With Ciclos, we chose to highlight precisely this human creative potential,” says Joana Campestrini Fuchs, Marketing Manager at Karsten.
Scrapbook as a metaphor for the journey
This emphasis on the human perspective is reflected in various elements of the campaign. Throughout the film, the character manually creates a travel journal in a scrapbook style, gathering photographs, flowers, plants, and mementos collected during the journey.
This device represents how each person constructs their own identity: by gathering memories, experiences, and emotional connections that, over time, gain meaning and become part of their story.
The concept reinforces the central idea of Ciclos — that every experience contributes to the formation of new perspectives and versions of oneself.
Creativity and technology in dialogue
The collection also engages in a dialogue with the transformations in contemporary communication. In a landscape defined by the growing presence of technology and artificial intelligence, Karsten recognizes that innovation and creativity need not be at odds.
With this perspective, attributes such as cultural background, emotion, lived experience, and the capacity for interpretation become increasingly vital for creating products and narratives that forge authentic connections.
The trend analysis underpinning the collection further highlights creativity, lightness, and emotion as key values for brands and products in an increasingly complex world.
An experience that also transformed production
The experience in Madagascar yielded insights that went beyond the scope of the campaign. The team’s exposure to a cultural reality distinct from their everyday lives in Brazil influenced the creative process itself.
With nine professionals directly involved in filming and dozens more working behind the scenes, the production required adapting to a different sense of time and the dynamics of the local community.
More than simply adhering to a schedule, the experience called for listening, respect, and sensitivity in order to understand the local cultural context. This engagement broadened the team’s perspective on the very concepts guiding the collection.
The home as a space for experiences
The *Ciclos (Cycles) campaign also builds upon the vision found in Karsten’s recent communications: the home as a space for experiences, memories, and human connections.
Consequently, the concept goes beyond merely showcasing products. The brand seeks to craft stories that resonate emotionally and create a sense of meaning, linking its products to the experiences that shape people’s lives.
Inspired by roots, encounters, and connection, the *Ciclos* collection invites the audience to reflect on their own journeys and find value in every transformation. Much like nature, the stories that define us are constantly in motion, following cycles of renewal and discovery.
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