CHARLY X MAURICIO CANDELA: FAST-PACED ENERGY FOR AN ACTIVE LIFESTYLE

Mauricio Candela
Apr 23, 2023
4 min read

Updated: Oct 20

Introduction: When sport meets style

In today’s crowded footwear market, authenticity and energy are what separate good campaigns from great ones. That’s why Charly, the fast-growing athletic shoe brand owned by Skechers, turned to Mauricio Candela, a creative force in sports and lifestyle photography, to lead a high-intensity production in Miami. The result: a campaign that captures the soul of athletic performance and everyday movement with vibrant visuals, real talent, and nonstop momentum.

Who is Charly?

Charly is a Mexican-born brand with global ambitions. Owned by Skechers, Charly has become a favorite for athletes and casual wearers across Latin America and the United States, offering affordable, performance-oriented sneakers that look as good as they feel. The brand focuses on inclusivity, comfort, and lifestyle-driven performance, and that philosophy was front and center in this campaign.

Behind the shoot: Working at full speed

Intense production schedule

This campaign was fast-paced by design. The creative brief required Candela and his team to capture a large volume of assets in just a few days. Each day was split between performance shots, lifestyle imagery, and digital-first content.

The pace was rigorous. Every hour was scheduled. Every shot had to count. Yet, thanks to careful pre-production, clear art direction, and a highly collaborative team, the energy stayed high from sunrise to wrap.

“It was one of those shoots where you don’t stop moving—but that’s exactly the energy the brand wanted to capture,” said Candela.

Collaborative teams on set

The shoot brought together several creative forces:

Photography by Mauricio Candela
Production by The Blur Office (based in Miami)
Co-production by Revolver (Mexico-based)
Digital content by Charly’s in-house social media team

It was a truly multi-disciplinary and international effort. While Candela directed the photo team, Charly’s digital crew jumped in after every scene to capture short-form social videos, BTS content, and reels for rapid publishing. This ensured that the content strategy wasn’t just designed for high-resolution ads, but also for fast-turn digital platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube Shorts.

Performance and lifestyle: Two stories, one campaign

The campaign was split into two key pillars:

1. Performance

Focused on Charly’s running and training collections, the performance shots were designed to showcase the shoes in action. Candela directed athletes in running, jumping, stretching, and other kinetic poses using natural light and urban textures.

Every movement was real—no staged or stiff actions. The goal was to bring out the power of the shoe through real athleticism, while keeping the brand’s modern, street-style edge.

2. Lifestyle

The lifestyle series highlighted the more casual, day-to-day use of Charly sneakers. These shots were taken in iconic miami neighborhoods, featuring talent walking, socializing, and living life in their Charlys. The vibe was inclusive, aspirational, but always authentic.

Candela’s ability to balance technical precision with a loose, natural aesthetic allowed each moment to feel spontaneous, even though every detail—from lighting to wardrobe—was carefully considered.

Creative direction: raw, real, and fast

Candela’s signature approach was central to the campaign’s success. His preference for natural light, urban settings, and imperfect beauty helped the campaign stand out visually.

Rather than overly retouched images, the photos are full of texture and motion. Sneakers kick up dust, sweat drips, and laces flutter in motion. The shoes look lived-in, not posed—and that’s exactly what modern consumers want to see.

Location: Miami as a visual playground

Miami provided the perfect backdrop for a campaign that blends sport and lifestyle. The city’s mix of modern architecture, vibrant colors, and natural light gave Candela the tools to build a series that feels both cosmopolitan and grounded.

Neighborhoods like wynwood, brickell, and downtown miami were used to showcase the different personas of the Charly customer—from the everyday commuter to the weekend athlete.

Production snapshot

Brand: Charly (by Skechers)
Photographer & director: Mauricio Candela
City: Miami, Florida
Production company: The Blur Office
Co-production: Revolver, Mexico
Client content team: Charly digital
Media deliverables: High-res photo campaign, video clips, social media gifs, behind-the-scenes content

Campaign goals and results

Charly’s objective with this campaign was to energize their brand image among young, urban consumers while also maintaining credibility with performance-minded athletes. The campaign:

Generated hundreds of still and motion assets in under 5 days
Enabled Charly to launch a region-wide digital rollout across Latin America
Increased engagement on social media via real-time, behind-the-scenes posting

Delivered a campaign rooted in movement, diversity, and realism

Final thoughts: speed, energy, and authenticity

This shoot for Charly by Skechers wasn’t just about sneakers. It was about capturing the speed of life, the energy of the street, and the everyday athlete in all of us. Through Candela’s vision, Charly gained a library of versatile, striking imagery that can live across platforms and markets.

The collaboration between the photography team, digital creators, and brand stakeholders is a case study in fast-paced, high-impact content creation—and a great reminder that movement, when captured honestly, is unforgettable.

Candela's team worked with a photography team, and each time photos were taken, Charly's digital team entered to produce material for social media. The production took place in the city of Miami, where it was carried out by the companies The Blur Office and Revolver from Mexico.