4:AM

4:AM is a Spokane, WA based streetwear and sneaker brand rooted in the culture surrounding fashion, music and sport. As a freelance Creative Director, I developed imagery for the brand's 4:AMILY campaign from concept through execution, casting talent, directing and photographing the shoot, and transforming the final imagery through animation and digital content.

Client

4:AM

Date

2024

Services

Creative Direction · Photography · Motion Design

The Concept

For the 4:AMILY campaign, featuring a hoodie with 4:AMILY embroidered on the left chest, and a free red on black 4:AM canvas tote bag: Casting was an integral part of the creative direction.

The goal was to create a portrait of Spokane's youth culture through the people actively shaping it.

Each represented a different part of the worlds 4:AM occupied. 4:AM had already established itself as a home for young people interested in the arts, fashion, vintage apparel, and sports. Its events and collaborations regularly brought together sneaker collectors, independent brands, DJs, athletes and young creatives, positioning the store as a gathering place where many consider each other kin.

The Casting

We initially sought to cast 4 people with existing ties to Spokane's emerging fashion and athletic communities.

The campaign featured the founder of Wavy Market, Jean Sébastien the founder of Truwar, Landen Elmore and Gonzaga men's soccer forward Myles Sandy. I had the privilege of being asked to be the 4th contributor, crediting my involvement with the brand as fractional Creative Director.

Each person represented a different part of the ecosystem surrounding 4:AM.

Wavy Market and Truwar connected the campaign directly to Spokane's independent streetwear scene, young founders building their own labels and contributing to the city's developing fashion identity.

Myles Sandy brought the athletic, "hometown hero" side of that culture into the campaign through Gonzaga men's soccer, reinforcing 4:AM's relationship between streetwear and Gonzaga athletics.

Together, the cast reflected the intersections that made the brand culturally relevant locally: streetwear + sport + entrepreneurship + youth culture.

Photography

The objective was to tell the story of Spokane's grit, loyalty, and resilience through these 4 individuals.

The photography emphasized personality, attitude, and presence; allowing each piece to exist naturally on each model.

The result sat somewhere between fashion photography and documentation: polished enough to operate as a campaign, yet grounded enough to feel like a real portrait of the community surrounding 4:AM.

Extending the Campaign Through Motion

I then translated the still photography into animated content for digital and social applications.

Motion gave the campaign another layer of energy, allowing typography, photography and graphic treatments to interact instead of remaining static.

By carrying the project from casting through styling, photography and animation, I was able to maintain a cohesive creative direction throughout various locations, models, and stages of production.

The Outcome

4:AM transformed a product campaign into a piece of local cultural storytelling.

The campaign didn't borrow credibility from outside Spokane. It highlighted the people already creating culture within it.

Both the sweatshirts and their corresponding tote bags sold out the week following the release of the 4:AMILY campaign on social media. A testament to the immense support of the community for the brand, but likewise of the resonance this campaign had with that same community.

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