New Balance
Working closely with New Balance in Boston and APAC, we planned and executed more than 8 lifestyle driven campaigns that pioneered the authentic storytelling style we see dominating lifestyle businesses today.
Background
With a background in classic running styles and comfort, New Balance had always had a layer of authenticity only few brands can dream of. But as the sneaker market evolved and new markets were demanding innovation, they needed to strike a balance between looking back and looking forward.
Working on a project to project basis, we developed an organic, but deep relationship with New Balance over a 4 year period. Starting with small initiatives in the Hong Kong market, we took over the regional APAC duties and later global campaign work. With a large breadth of work across categories spanning events, advertising, social and activation, there’s one key strategy tying everything together:
Tell real stories of people who were defining the future of style with respect for the past – just likeNew Balance.
Working closely with the client and a small network of collaborators, we were able to create global content fast and with an authentic feel. The approach was organic, letting one collaboration lead to the next through real connections between people. We introduced New Balance as a natural part of these stories; never forced, but always with a respect for the context.
Process
1
Consumer personas
3 weeks
2
Trend studies
2 weeks
3
Umbrella strategy development
2 weeks
4
Artist profiling
2 weeks
5
Artist management and campaigns
Ongoing
Working on New Balance felt like an organic process and that's what gave the work the authentic feel. Everyone used their network to connect with people who actually loved the New Balance brand... that's how it should be.
Solarised collection launch
We produced a fully integrated campaign for the launch of the Solarised collection. Shot on location in both Hong Kong and Los Angeles, we told the story of how the dying art of neon making is connecting people across the world.
Washed & Faded
To emphasise the brand's relevance in urban environments, we produced a series of streetstyle portraits matching the look that was emerging on sneaker blogs at the time. Shot in Tokyo, the portraits focused on progressive styling agains traditional backdrops.
Impact and outcomes
Reflecting on the work we created over a 4 year period, it is clear that we pioneered a new authentic storytelling style and built a platfom for New Balance to grow its relationship with the creative community in many years to come. We set a direction for how to engage with artists and create content with a higher frequency, moving away from the previous focus on campaign-by-campaign spikes.
The outcome was only possible in close collaboration with New Balance and an agile team that allowed us to bring in collaborators who were willing to work with New Balance for the love of the brand. We’re proud to observe that the style of storytelling has later permeated not only the sneaker industry, but also fashion and other lifestyle categories. Unfortunately, authentic relationships are too often being sacrificed for the power of influencer likes and quick metrics, neglecting the importance of long term brand equity.
Credits
Laurent Segretier
Photographer
Tom Gould
Film Director
Charles Munka
Artist / network
Patrick Martinez
Artist
Jazzy Sports
Artist
Ivania Carpio
Artist
Next
Bird Meditation
2020
