A new online campaign from Boston-based sportswear brand New Balance and UK-based sports retailer Sports Direct continues the latter’s new ‘No Half Measures’ brand positioning by promoting the escapism and exhilaration of running in general and the launch of the New Balance 680v6 running shoe and apparel in particular.
The integrated campaign, which was created by agency 20ten, was spearheaded by a 30-second film which features two striking models and aims to drive home a message about fearless independence and the freedom to be whoever you want to be.
Shot on the iconic Brighton Beach, the spot mixes video footage by Max Dos Santos with stills photography by Ede Dugdale.
New Balance | No Half Measures_30sec spot from Alex Pulford on Vimeo.
A second supporting social ad was shot on 16mm film.
The campaign targets a young adult audience and seeks to appeal to those who are athletically active but need their trainers to fit in with all aspects of their lifestyle.
Led by YouTube, the work ran online through the Sports Direct social channels during April as it leveraged the reopening of the retailer’s UK stores and the film and supporting imagery will appear in-store.
The campaign will then roll out in bursts over the next year across 15 European markets with executions created in 13 European language variations for countries where Sports Direct has a presence.
“With so many people taking up running in the last 12 months, we wanted to launch a campaign to celebrate running at every level. Whether you run to train, run for mental health reasons, or run to meet a goal, you get out there and give it your all<2 explained New Balance Trade Marketing Manager Jackie Naber. “No half measures represents all those runners and how the New Balance brand continues to support all runners in their journey, whatever it may be”
20ten Creative Director Sam Richardson added: “Trainer marketing comes laden with so many tropes, but New Balance was fully on board when we said we wanted to produce something more challenging. Each runner has their own story. We wanted to convey that feeling of escapism and exhilaration that comes with just putting on a pair of shoes and getting out there. So we ditched the typical gritty, urban location in favour of Brighton and opted for an open casting to give us access to talent that was authentic and fresh. Shooting on 16mm complements Ede’s stills photography that resulted in a piece of creative that felt genuine and representative of real people.”
The campaign was created for New Balance and Sports Direct by a team at agency 20ten which included Creative Director Sam Richardson, Art Director Jade Nodinot and Photographer Ede Dugdale with production handled by Progress Films with Editor Alex Pulford and Videographer Max Dos Santos.
Leave a comment
You must be logged in to post a comment.