A new campaign from US running apparel brand Brooks Running called ‘Runfulness’ is a social good initiative which will bring to life the best ideas people have whilst out running.
The initiative is based on the insight that, like ‘shower thoughts’, there is evidence that a wide range of great and innovative ideas come to people when they are out running and Brooks Running wants to help fund the best of those ideas through a Run Fund.
The fund aims to encourage, explore, support and share the benefits of these ‘Runfulness’ ideas by asking the running community to submit the ideas they dreamt up while running for a chance to win funds and resources to turn their ideas into reality.
The Seattle-based company invites people around the world to enter the flow state of ‘Runfulness’ and apply to have their running ideas funded through a digital first campaign by agency Huge spearheaded by social video running across the brand’s own channels.
The campaign explores the power of Runfulness through a set of video and social content and is brought to life through real-life stories told by seven runners from around the world: each highlighting the everyday benefits that running and Runfulness produce.
Hubbed around a bespoke web page, the call-to-action is simple: go on a run, get an idea and then submit it to Brooks.
A diverse jury of four business leaders, who are also avid runners, will judge the ideas based on viability and impact.
The judging panel is Jay Ell Alexander (Owner/CEO of Black GIrls RUN! and owner of Vaughn Strategy), Hooman Radfar (Co-founder and CEO of Collective), Rodney Hines (CEO/Chief Mission Guy at Metier Brewing Company) and Kate Glantz (head of social impact at Luna Pictures).
The will be announced on 19 May and and five prizes worth a total of $200,000 will be awarded to winners – with one Grand Prize of $100k.
Brooks will then also follow its Run Fund winners through content creation as they put their ideas into action.
Comment:
This initiative isn’t just about the classic ‘runners high’, but rather one which supports a deeper and more impactful experience that sees running support mental wellness and fuel creative inspiration and also help runners identify purpose and opportunity.
It certainly seeks to bring to life Brooks Running’s brand belief that ‘a run can change a day, a life, a world’.
There are echoes here of other current running and wellness campaigns – such as ASICS’ 2021 ‘Sunrise Mind’ – which have emerged from deeper research into the mind-linked benefits of running partly fuelled by the pandemic rise in running.
Brooks Running began back in 1914 with a small factory in Philadelphia initially making ballet slippers and bathing shoes, before moving in to making baseball cleats in the 1920s (including those worn by the brand’s first star sports endorser Mickey Mantle) and football cleats in 1930. The business then moved into the running shoe space in the early 1970s and then pivoted to a full commitment to running in 2001.
Links:
Brooks Running
https://www.brooksrunning.com/
Huge
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