New Balance debuts a new brand campaign on March 27 that highlights running as fundamental to all sport and spotlights the runner's complex love/hate relationship with running. The television campaign breaks nationally in the U.S. during the NCAA basketball tournament on CBS and will have heavy emphasis in the March-May and August-September timeframe through Fox, cable and ESPN.
The campaign brings these struggles and personal breakthroughs to life by personifying running in a light-hearted and engaging manner and showcases the brand's ability to increase the love of running through product innovation.
“Running is our history and our reason for being,” says Rob DeMartini, CEO at New Balance. “We believe our 'LOVE/hate. this is the new balance' campaign will strike an emotional chord with athletes. This campaign captures the complicated love/hate struggle of runners and shows how New Balance is dedicated to reducing the hate and growing the love of running through innovations in footwear, apparel and equipment.”
“New Balance understands that being a better runner makes you a better athlete,” says Christine Madigan, Director of Global Marketing and Brand Management at New Balance. “The LOVE/hate campaign is grounded in deep global consumer insights and inherent truths about the role of running in an athlete's life and how our products can help tip the balance towards love.”
The print campaign appears in vertical running/sports national and regional magazines starting in March including Runner's World, Running Times, ESPN the Magazine and Running Network.
Online campaign initiatives include banner ads and rich interactive elements that communicate both brand and product messaging.
The brand campaign will be integrated into New Balance events and sponsorships including Major League Lacrosse, Komen Race for the Cure, Rock n' Roll Marathon Series and the Summer X Games, among others. Campaign imagery will also be showcased through point-of-purchase and product displays at New Balance stores and retailers.
The campaign launches in major international markets during the next 90 days including: Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Chile, UK, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Poland, Czech Republic, Russia, Israel, South Africa, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, Korea, Singapore, Australia and New Zealand.
The brand campaign creative was developed by BBDO New York who was named New Balance's global creative agency of record in October 2007.
