New Balance is rolling out a new campaign built around a set of its athlete endorsers writing a letter to their future selves highlighting the goals, the drive and the values that they embody to be the best.
The first phase of the Boston-based brand’s new initiative, which aims to inspire all athletes to be the best they can be, is fronted by Olympian Boris Berian, tennis star Milos Raonic and X Games gold medalist skateboarder Alexis Sablone.
The campaign primarily revolves around letters (augmented by parallel long and short form films) from each endorser and it launched on 16 February with Berian’s and Sablone’s ‘Letters To My Future Self’.
Berian wrote the following to his future self: ‘Remember when NO ONE believed in you? And you were on your own…Fearless. Remember all of it because that is what made you. Remember all of it, every time you put it on the line. Remember yourself’.
Berian’s matching video opens with imagery of a child running on the beach (supposedly his younger self) and of Berian himself working at a fast food restaurant as a line cook (which he did whilst training), while the athlete’s own voice-over narrating the letter.
Sablone, a champion skateboarder (and MIT trained architect), pens a letter outlining how she sees the world ‘through a unique lens’ and ‘fearlessly embraced that difference and made it her own’.
All the videos and letters are hosted on the New Balance site and on the company’s YouTube page.
After reading/watching the athletes’ stories, visitors to the New Balance site are encouraged to write letters to their own future selves and the brand will then email the letter back to each person a year from the date they wrote it so they can see if they achieved their athletic and personal goals.
The campaign is further supported by social media assets and content pieces spanning Instagram,
Facebook,
Twitter,
Three years ago, no one knew @borisgump800’s name. Now he's making sure they never forget: https://t.co/5cTJ8fksJk #MyFutureSelf pic.twitter.com/LLrH2vc2es
— New Balance (@newbalance) January 21, 2017
Our friends at the @PlayersTribune share Alexis Sablone's letter to her future self: https://t.co/kmip15Au8E #MyFutureSelf
— New Balance (@newbalance) January 19, 2017
and Snapchat (all linked with the hashtag #MyFutureSelf).
‘Every New Year represents a new beginning, a new opportunity for self-improvement and presents that iconic moment for athletes and individuals around the world to redefine personal ambitions, motivations and sense of purpose,’ explains Chris Davis, New Balance VP of global marketing.
‘At New Balance, our marketing is a reflection of our values, so we created the “Letters to My Future Self” campaign to showcase the true individuality, grit and unparalleled persona of our world class athletes. Through their own words, reflections and inner strength, they inspire athletes everywhere to unrelentingly pursue the best version of their future self.’
Further sets of letters/films will follow from other endorsers in the New Balance stable – including big serving tennis star Raonic,
Ride the blue wave to victory. @milosraonic #ausopen #ao2017 pic.twitter.com/tzZFhjvn5F
— New Balance Tennis (@NBTennis) January 19, 2017
runners Ciara Mageean and Tom Barr, Massimo Corey Luongo
Note to #MyFutureSelf. Learn from the success and the challenges. What would you tell yourself?
Write your letter: https://t.co/IWjiI9IARi pic.twitter.com/VX5UaRadm1— Massimo Luongo (@MassLuongo) January 18, 2017
and Robinson Cano
To #MyFutureSelf: Try every day to work harder, get stronger, give back, and most important, smile. What would you tell your future self? pic.twitter.com/AvBV7oflXX
— Robinson Cano (@RobinsonCano) January 17, 2017
– all highlighting their inspirational stories through their own letters to their future selves.
‘These films portray how overcoming obstacles both in sport and in life represent a transformative experience that can forever alter an athlete’s journey and outlook for the future,’ adds Davis.
‘What you would say to your future self is a powerful realization of your fears, values, ambitions and the type of person you want to become.’
The campaign first launched in mid January in the USA, Canada, Japan, Europe, Latin America, New Zealand and Australia, before rolling out in Taiwan and Hong Kong later in January and in China on 24 February.
In the USA, the campaign is also being featured/supported through The Player’s Tribune and Vice Media.
New York agency Ace Content developed the campaign and creative, while PGR managed the US media work.
Comment:
Early statistics for the campaign show plenty of consumer engagement.
For example, within a week of its launch the lead Boris Berian film has notched up 2,559,058 YouTube views, while the Slabone spot had also reached the 2+ million mark.
We like the participatory element that encourages viewers/consumers to write their own letters to themselves (although, perhaps, the incentivisation element of this could have been a little more enticing with a more compelling form of reward or prize programme.)
It has echoes of previous campaigns in which sports stars write letters to their younger selves: such as the Gatorade ‘Love Of Sport’ campaigns leveraging the Rio 2016 Olympic Games featuring Serena Williams and Usain Bolt, as well as Paul George and April Ross. (see case study).
Links:
New Balance
http://www.newbalance.com/myfutureself
http://www.newbalance.com/letter-to-future-self/
https://twitter.com/newbalance
https://www.youtube.com/user/newbalance
https://www.facebook.com/Newbalance/
https://www.instagram.com/newbalance/
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