Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal epitomized arguably the single greatest rivalry in contemporary tennis. And, with Louis Vuitton's help, the former frenemies are now simply friends, content to hike snowy locales in each other's company.
In exclusive behind-the-scenes imagery provided to Highsnobiety, Federer and Nadal are seen jovially prepping for their appearance in Louis Vuitton's new Core Values campaign, which sees the two athletes stepping through snowy terrain all but arm-in-arm, their LV backpacks topped with climbing rope.
Federer and Nadal are merely the two latest and greatest talents to lend their famous faces to Louis Vuitton's Core Values campaign, a 17-year-old series that highlights some of the biggest stars in LV's orbit.
"Louis Vuitton has a long tradition of associations with exceptional people, and the Core Values campaign features personalities of truly global stature, ranging in professions and backgrounds," the fashion house said in a statement.
Previous LV Core Values campaign stars have included musicians like Bono and Keith Richards; actors like Sean Connery and Angelina Jolie; directors like Francis Ford and Sofia Coppola; athletes like Pele, Diego Maradona and Zinedine Zidane; astronauts Sally Ride and Buzz Aldrin; even politicians like Mikhail Gorbachev.
The point of the shoots is to emphasize what LV considers a core value: travel.
That means lensing each Core Value subject in transit, whether that's Keith Richards in a hotel room with his Louis Vuitton suitcase or Angelina Jolie barefoot in Cambodia.
Beyond the LV product, beyond the famous faces and even beyond the act of locomotion, LV Core Values epitomizes the spirit of adventure.
"Above and beyond their status, they are individuals who are widely recognized to have lived full and interesting lives – people who have accomplished personal journeys of their own," Louis Vuitton explained.
"From generation to generation, of dreams, messages or indeed of values, the campaigns capture the plurality of what transmission can be – both physical and emotional."
