New Balance will debut an integrated Run Faster Boston marketing campaign this April to coincide with the 114th running of the Boston Marathon on April 19th. The imagery highlights popular Boston landmarks and provides a sneak peek of the New Balance 759, one the company’s new fall 2010 running shoes.
“The Run Faster Boston theme reflects our brand’s spirit, energy, and performance momentum,” says Josh Rowe, marketing manager, running at New Balance. “”It depicts the brand’s desire to do everything faster, better, and with even greater focus. With one of the greatest races in the world taking place in our hometown of Boston, we view marathon weekend as a great opportunity to continue to regain leadership in our backyard.”
The campaign includes imagery that highlights one of the brand’s new performance running shoes for fall 2010, the New Balance 759, as well as popular Boston landmarks, featuring the Charles River, Back Bay, and Boylston and Hereford streets.
New Balance will launch an aggressive out-of-home media blitz to reach runners and fitness consumers in Boston via subway (T) trolleys, king-size bus displays, exterior bus shelter wraps, in-race media including light pole banners, T-station stairwells, barricades, the Copley ticket booth display, and a complete take-over of the city’s Park Street T-station.
New Balance will also reach fitness enthusiasts via digital media, including sponsorship of Runner’s World and Running Times magazines on-line Boston Marathon channels, the MapMyRun community group, Boston.coms marathon photo gallery and Why I Run section, and the Boston pages of yelp.com. The brand will target local Bostonians and visitors on their mobile phones in the weeks leading up to the race with the Run Faster Boston messaging. New Balance will also sponsor local broadcast and on-line coverage of the Boston Marathon through a partnership with WBZ TV.
New Balance will also debut the New Balance Limited Edition Boston 993, a special customized version of New Balance’s heritage running shoe. The limited edition shoes will also feature the words/letters “RUN BOS” on the back heels of the shoe. A truly limited run of shoes, only 72 total pairs are being created  36 women’s and 36 men’s. The Limited Edition Boston 993 will be sold exclusively at the Tannery on Boylston Street.
The Run Faster Boston imagery will also be featured inside the race expo at the New Balance booth, along with the company’s newest fall 2010 performance footwear and apparel. Interactive street teams will execute a texting program that drives recipients to the New Balance expo booth for the chance to learn about and win the 759 or one of several other prizes.
New Balance will reach out to Boston-area runners and fans through partnerships with Old Town Trolley and area restaurants and hotels, including Upper Crust, the Lenox Hotel, the Hilton Back Bay, and the Hilton Financial District.
The Run Faster Boston campaign was developed by BBDO New York who has served as New Balance’s global creative agency of record since October 2007.
