Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal take athleticism and elegance to new heights in Louis Vuitton’s new Core Values campaign in a journey that is symbolic of their history on the tennis court, from wunderkinds to legends.
Photographed by Annie Leibovitz, the tennis champions are seen wearing backpacks as the conquer Italy’s Dolomites mountain range, flanked between the Austrian border and the Venetian plain in the south. Federer wears the Monogram Christopher backpack, which the brand called “a symbol of timeless style akin to his own legacy in sport,” and Nadal, bravely in a T-shirt amid the chilly snow-topped range, in the Monogram Eclipse version, “representing his dynamic strength and tenacity.”
Federer described the collaboration with Nadal, his longtime on-court competitor, as “meaningful and special.”
“It’s a unique opportunity to be working on this campaign with Rafa. How we could be such rivals and then at the end of our careers be beside each other doing this campaign has been very cool. And where we are here today, I think it also embodies everything: at the peak of the mountains. For us it is something meaningful and special,” Federer said.
Nadal said that it was a “proud” moment for him to join Federer in a series that represents their shared values with the brand, adding, “he has been my biggest rival and now a close friend today. In my career, I achieved more than I ever dreamt of, so at the end of the day, the legacy in terms of human beings is the most important value.”
Pietro Beccari, chairman and CEO of Louis Vuitton, said Federer and Nadal’s journey were apt choices for the campaign’s revival.
“It has been 17 years since I launched the first Core Values campaign with Antoine Arnault, and I am delighted to revive this iconic series,” he said. “It has been brilliant to work with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal on this new story – both inspirational athletes, fierce friends, and testaments to the discipline and excellence of their own personal sporting journeys.”
Federer and Nadal’s Core Values campaign debuted exclusively on WWD on May 18. Below, see behind the scenes photos.
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Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal for Louis Vuitton’s ‘Core Values’
Image Credit: Courtesy Rafael Nadal, Annie Leibovitz and Roger Federer appear together in a “Core Values” campaign for Louis Vuitton, photographed by Leibovitz.
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Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal for Louis Vuitton’s ‘Core Values’
Image Credit: Courtesy Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal appear together in a “Core Values” campaign for Louis Vuitton, photographed by Annie Leibovitz.
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Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal for Louis Vuitton’s ‘Core Values’
Image Credit: Courtesy Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal appear together in a “Core Values” campaign for Louis Vuitton, photographed by Annie Leibovitz.
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Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal for Louis Vuitton’s ‘Core Values’
Image Credit: Courtesy Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal appear together in a “Core Values” campaign for Louis Vuitton, photographed by Annie Leibovitz.
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Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal for Louis Vuitton’s ‘Core Values’
Image Credit: Courtesy Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal appear together in a “Core Values” campaign for Louis Vuitton, photographed by Annie Leibovitz.
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Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal for Louis Vuitton’s ‘Core Values’
Image Credit: Courtesy Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal appear together in a “Core Values” campaign for Louis Vuitton, photographed by Annie Leibovitz.
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Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal for Louis Vuitton’s ‘Core Values’
Image Credit: Courtesy Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal appear together in a “Core Values” campaign for Louis Vuitton, photographed by Annie Leibovitz.
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Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal for Louis Vuitton’s ‘Core Values’
Image Credit: Courtesy Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal appear together in a “Core Values” campaign for Louis Vuitton, photographed by Annie Leibovitz.
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Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal for Louis Vuitton’s ‘Core Values’
Image Credit: Courtesy Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal appear together in a “Core Values” campaign for Louis Vuitton, photographed by Annie Leibovitz.
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Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal for Louis Vuitton’s ‘Core Values’
Image Credit: Courtesy Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal appear together in a “Core Values” campaign for Louis Vuitton, photographed by Annie Leibovitz.
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Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal for Louis Vuitton’s ‘Core Values’
Image Credit: Annie Leibovitz Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal appear together in a “Core Values” campaign for Louis Vuitton.