It’s Spring, so that means the latest annual avalanche of running advertising and activation that marks the start of ‘marathon marketing season’.
From Nike’s ‘Choose Go’ to ASICS ‘I Move Me’, 2018 has already seen some of the best running campaigns in years and this year’s marathon season continues the trend with some standout work leveraging the Boston and London Marathons.
Most marathon marketing strategies focus on enhancing the event experience, improving performances, supporting causes and fostering a life-long love for running and fitness.
These are activating through a set of tactics that typically include everything from inspirational films and incentives, to utilities in the form of guides, training and tracking, plus supporting platforms for running groups, as well as providing personal memories and mementos to share and keep.
In the spirit of offering a blend of inspiration and utility to marathon marketers, the Activative team has put together its Top 26.2 Marathon Marketing & Running Campaigns.
1: New Balance ‘Everyone’s Race’ / ‘Reasons To Run’
2: Nike ‘Shoe Therapy’
3: Saucony / Dunkin’ Donuts ‘Kinvara 9 & Boston Marathon’
4: Nike’Choose Go‘
5: Adidas ‘It’s On You‘
6: Virgin Active ‘The Second Finish Line‘
7: New Balance ‘My Future Self / Comrades Marathon‘
8: Nike ‘Breaking 2‘
9: Intersport ‘RunTheSpring‘
10: ASB ‘Run Down Your Rate / Auckland Marathon‘
11: Telekom Vivicittá ‘Race TV (Budapest 1/2 Marathon)’
12: Paramount ‘Baywatch Movie Slo-Mo Marathon’
13: Snapchat ‘Run, Snap, Swipe, Make History (LA Marathon)’
14: Samsung ‘Marathon Game (Tel Aviv Marathon)’
15: Lucozade Sport ‘Made To Move Instagram Incentivisation (London Marathon)’
16: Foot Locker/Asics ‘Real Lives, Real Runners’
17: Standard Chartered ‘Reasons To Run (Dubai Marathon)’
18: Asics ‘World’s Biggest Selfie (NYC Marathon)’
19: Reebok ‘Hunt The Pump – Instagram Virtual Run Treasure Hunt’
20: Nike ‘Last’
21: John Hancock ‘We Run Together (Boston Marathon)’
22: Vodafone ‘Poppy Run’
23: AT&T ‘Boston Marathon Mosaic’
24: Adidas ‘London Running Club’
25: Nike ‘London Tube Map #NikeFuelMap’
26: Nike Mexico ‘Pay With Kilometers’
26.2 Standard Chartered ‘Are You Ready? (Hong Kong Marathon)’
