Mid-June saw disruptive sneaker brand Hoka launch the largest global integrated marketing campaign in its history with creative based around the concept of ‘murmuration’ – a flocking behaviour amongst birds.
Running within the umbrella ‘Fly Human Fly’ brand platform which Hoka debuted in 2022 (and uses the #FlyHumanFly hashtag and tagline), the Deckers Brands-owned sports shoe company’s ‘Murmuration’ campaign spanned owned media, out-of-home, connected TV, digital and paid social on apps including TikTok, Meta and Snapchat.
The campaign, which was created with agency Anomaly, was spearheaded by a 60-second anthem: a film that featured striking visuals to reinforce the notion that both distance runners and casual walkers alike feel as if they flying together when wearing Hokas.
To mimic the avian behavioural phenomenon, which often inspires awe in both casual onlookers and birdwatching enthusiasts alike, the camera initially tracks a runner in the woods at the ground level before tilting up to show what seems to be a murmuration of birds overhead. Upon closer inspection, the shot reveals the group is actually a flock of Hoka wearers (including athlete ambassadors Jan Frodeno and Adelle Tracy) all running, walking and hiking on air as a collective. As the ad closes out, the group forms the shape of the Hoka logo.
‘Fly Human Fly: Murmuration’ dropped on 15 June and urged viewers to ‘fly together’ and ‘celebrate community’ while driving home the brand’s belief in the transformational power of joyful movement.
The full-length version was supported by a 15-second trail and 6-second social clips.
Hoka reinforced its belief in community togetherness by inviting regional running clubs to participate in local ‘Hoka Fly Runs’. The first event took place on the 15 June campaign launch day in Manhattan and began at a starting line placed strategically in front of a new Hoka pop-up store: a 3,400-square-foot brand space which formed Hoka’s largest ever retail presence in the USA.
The marketer also donated $100,000 to Achilles International: an organization that works on equal access to endurance events.
Within the campaign, the brand plans to roll out two additional ads in the summer months specifically to support its Mach X performance running shoe and an eco-conscious Anacapa 2 GTX hiking boot.
The first two campaign spots were helmed by Directors Ian Pons Jewell and Leigh Powis, while the third video promoting the Anacapa 2 GTX hiking boot was directed by Autumn de Wilde.
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This campaign followed in the footsteps of Hoka’s first global brand platform, ‘Fly Human Fly’, developed with agency FCB in July 2022.
Originally founded in in 2009 in Annecy (France), the company was acquired by Deckers Brands (which also owns Ugg and Teva) in 2013 and has since been based in Richmond (California). The brand is known for oversized outsoles – often referred to as ‘maximalist’ shoes – with chunky, cushioned soles and loud colour schemes.
Hoka have evolved from being a niche favourite for long-distance runners into a more mainstream brand – with significant growth during the pandemic’s running boom – and in 2022 surpassed $1bn in sales. Indeed, this ambitious campaign saw Hoka seek to extend that strong recent sales growth.
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