New Balance’s new generation of celebrity ambassadors – led by tennis sensation Coco Gauff, actor/musician/activist Jaden Smith and Olympic sprinter Sydney McLaughlin (with references to LA Clippers basketball star Kawhi Leonard and Senegalese and Liverpool forward Sadio Mané, as well as pro skateboarders Margielyn Didal and Tiago Lemos) – front a new global campaign targeting Gen Z and Millennials rolling out ahead of the Tokyo Olympics/Paralympics and a much anticipated sporting revival.
The star-studded campaign, which dropped on 10 May and runs under the Boston-based company’s new ‘We Got Now’ brand platform, was created by agency VML&R and is called ‘Impatience Is A Virtue’: thus turning the timeless adage on its head
The campaign’s aim is to inspire viewers to seize every opportunity to chase their passions and to take control of their own destiny (preferably in New Balance gear) and drive home the message that the brand is more than just about winning, elite sport and sneakers, but also supporting meaningful community change.
The campaign’s hero 60-second film, which is set to ‘Wrestling With Elephants’ by Safari Youth, sees each star engaged in the activities they love but the emphasis is not about athletic and artistic ambitions alone.
We Got Now is rolling out globally and, as well as the lead 60-second film, it also includes a 30-second video, a set of 15-second and six-second vignettes and supporting still photography.
The campaign spans TV, digital, social and OOH and will also include placements in and around high-profile sporting events – including Tokyo 2020.
In the campaign’s official launch PR statement, New Balance described the work as “a twist on the old adage that Gen Z has heard all their lives. But this generation isn’t waiting around for someone to give them the keys to entry. Instead, they’re figuring out the path to success for themselves. They’re leading the charge on some of the most important issues of our time, from climate change to mental health and sustainability. They’re fed up with someone telling them what they can’t do. For them, impatience is a virtue.”
“When you know what you want, waiting isn’t an option,” says Smith in the campaign.
“The campaign highlights what drives Team New Balance athletes and fearlessly independent fans of the brand around the world to claim the ‘now’ and pursue their passions and dreams,” said New Balance Marketing VP Jeff McAdams. “’We Got Now’ is a call to action to come together in meaningful ways, impacting change globally and locally. The campaign is meant to encourage the idea of impatience, inspiring consumers across the world to be proactive in going after what they want.”
“We hope that young people see themselves in this work and keep impatiently pursuing their dreams their own way,” says Rai Halim, creative director at VMLY&R.
The campaign was created for New Balance by a team at VMLY&R which included CEO Jason Xenopoulos, CCO Wayne Best, Creative Directors Justine Cotter and Rai Halim, Associate Designer Lawrence Staebler, Chief Strategy Officer Tomas Gonsorcik, Group Strategy Director Miriam Raisner, Senior Strategist Laura Bevan, Executive Producer Andy Wilcox, Executive Music Producer Theresa Notartomaso, Music Producer Alexandra Allen and Associate Music Producer Kaylie Linder, Chief Client Officer Chris Furse, Managing Director David Pomfret, Account Director Lucy Bugler and Senior Account Manager Logan Hassig.
Post was handled by PS260 with Editor Matt Posey, Assistant Editor Chris Nicastro, Executive Producer Laura Lamb Patterson and Audio Mixer Rob Fielack, with Company3 Colorist Tim Masick and Producer Kevin Breheny.
The lead spot was helmed by We Are Familia Director Sashinski with Executive Producer Toby Walsham, DPs Massimo Hanozet and Ayinde Anderson, plus Photographer Ollie Ali.
Comment:
This work marks something of an evolution for the brand, linking next generation swagger with responsibility and a more substantial exploration of the human spirit and both community and ecological responsibility.
It feels fairly fresh to see a campaign targeting Gen Z which isn’t full of zippy quick cuts, blended action and animation or even a TikTok challenge.
Instead, New Balance is offering a more understated and contemplative approach.
Phew!
This campaign is part of New Balance’s ‘We Got Now’ brand platform: which was also created by VMLY&R New York and represents the largest quarterly media investment in the history of the company.
New Balance, which has worked with VMLY&R for more than five years, worked with its agency on the campaign from conception to production (with shoots held around the world).
The aim is to refocuses around New Balance’s recent investments in various environmental initiatives and social programs: from its manufacturing of over a million masks during the pandemic, to its new sustainability commitments (which include switching to 100% renewable electricity by 2025 and 100% environmentally-preferred leather and 50% recycled polyester in its apparel production.
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