REEF is marking the 21st anniversary of its Fanning sandal — one of the most recognizable products in surf and casual footwear, evolving what began as an irreverent, “functional joke” into a meaningful, long-standing part of the business and brand identity.
Originally introduced in 2005 in collaboration with pro surfer Mick Fanning, the sandal helped redefine the category by combining performance-driven comfort with a built-in bottle opener, a distinctive, unapologetically functional detail that became both a cultural signal and a defining brand asset.
As part of this next chapter, REEF is expanding the Fanning franchise for Spring/Summer 2026 with four new models, extending the product into new use cases and environments while maintaining the core idea that made it iconic.
Today, REEF is seeing strong business momentum across both its men’s and women’s categories, paired with a renewed focus on brand marketing as the company invests in how it shows up culturally and connects with consumers. Over two decades, the balance of performance, personality, and humor that defined the Fanning has become central to REEF’s broader brand ethos and marketing approach.
To support the milestone, REEF is launching a new campaign, “The Fanning Turns 21,” which celebrates the product not as a retrospective moment, but as something still actively embedded in culture today.
See the spots:
The Fanning Turns 21: Idea Guy
The Fanning Turns 21: Is This It?
The Fanning Turns 21: Lost Tourist
Developed in partnership with independent creative agency Party Land, the campaign is set around a Backyard BBQ and features REEF Ambassadors, Billy Kemper, Noah Beschen, Mason Ho and Makoa Ho, across three spots.
The creative captures the Fanning in its natural environment, kicked off in a pile of sandals, grabbed to open a beer, allowing the product’s most recognizable feature to show up organically rather than as a forced hero moment. The tone is intentionally loose and understated, with humor driven by familiar, everyday interactions.
While rooted in surf culture, the campaign is designed to extend beyond it, balancing insider references with universally recognizable moments to broaden appeal.
Party Land’s role was to bring this perspective to life creatively, translating REEF’s brand ethos into a campaign that feels authentic, current, and reflective of the environments where the product naturally exists.
“Legacy products get looked back on. Legends keep moving forward. The Fanning is an absolute legend in footwear that broke the mold and still has plenty of room to grow. Our job wasn’t to reinterpret or celebrate, it was to show the Fanning right in the middle of the culture that created it,” said Matt Heath, cofounder and chief creative officer, Party Land.
Media Plan: The campaign will run on digital and social, including Amazon OLV, YouTube, Meta, and TikTok
Production: The campaign was shot on location in O’ahu and directed by The Reggies, a creative duo known for their naturalistic approach and ability to capture authentic, character-driven moments with a subtle comedic edge.
