Spike Lee Is the Face of Timberland’s Latest Campaign, Celebrating 50 Years of Their Iconic Yellow Boot

Timberland has unveiled its newest global campaign, “Advice of an Icon,” starring Spike Lee. 

In celebration of 50 years of Timberland’s Original Yellow Boot, the outdoor apparel and footwear brand has collaborated with three creatives: Lee, the British rapper Skepta and actress Kiko Mizuhara to embrace authenticity and artistry. The campaign hopes to push creative boundaries for multiple generations. 

“You have to have a work ethic,” Lee said in a statement about the campaign, which launched Thursday morning. “You got to put the work in. You can’t cheat that, if you’re cheating, you’re cheating yourself.” 

The filmmaker has been a longtime fan of the brand, most recently wearing a custom-printed Knicks edition of the workwear boot from the sidelines of Madison Square Garden this past NBA season.

On the campaign’s mission to embrace authenticity and artistry, Skepta said: “There was never another option for me apart from success. “Anyone who’s built something will tell you — you need blind faith, even when the outcome isn’t clear,” he said. “People need to remember community. Get back to that idea of doing it for the people around you.”

“I kept going. I kept doing what I liked,” Kiko added. “Sometimes there were challenges, and I failed. It’s because I stayed true to who I am. That’s why I’m here. And I will never apologize for who I am.”

“As we head into FW25, Timberland continues to lean into its legacy while pushing culture forward,” Maisie Willoughby, Chief Marketing Officer for Timberland, said. “The “Advice of an Icon” campaign is a bold tribute to unapologetic self-expression and timeless craft. At its core is the Original Yellow Boot, a global icon that has shaped style, work, and street culture for over 50 years.”

The campaign was directed by and shot by Gabriel Moses.