ADIDAS: STOP MOTION VIRAL VIDEO

I love this stop motion viral video by Adidas. I think that the stop motion, jumpy feel, is really effective and the different shapes they make such as the waves and clouds are really interesting.

ADIDAS: BIRMINGHAM LIMITED EDITION

Our focus group with the Tier 2 consumer revealed that the boys (all friends) had found this particular limited edition exciting. Only 200 pairs of the trainers were created and each pair sold for £250. They are real collectables that any sneaker freak would love to get their hands on.

Although none of the boys managed to get a pair, they were all aware of this edition, and it did make them go onto the Adidas website as a result, so brand awareness was also heightened as the consumer was reminded about the brand through this media buzz. The boys all agreed that if a limited edition is appealing enough, and in short enough supply, then it will generate word of mouth promotion and great PR. Something that New Balance could really do with...

GOLA COLLABORATE WITH TADO

I found this interesting collaboration between the sportswear brand Gola and a UK based design duo Tado. They collaborated for Spring/Summer 2010 to create vibrant new designs, with the use of retro colours and characters. These designs were then put on to items such as Gola's classic Redford bag, high and low top trainers and clothes for both men and women.

The use of these vibrant colours creates a perfect look for Spring/Summer and complements Gola's love of quirky designs.

Gola, as a competitor for New Balance, seem to be quite similar; they also tend to focus on their British heritage and have been around for a similar amount of time. This makes them quite an interesting brand to look into in terms of what they have done to create a higher awareness within the UK market, especially as many of the aspects they wish to present to consumers are similar to New Balance.

HERE'S TO THE AFTER HOURS ATHLETE: PUMA

In terms of attracting a younger consumer, to their lifestyle trainers, I think that Puma have hit it on the mark here with their 'Here's to the After Hours Athlete' campaign.

Watch the TV advert to see for yourself how right Puma have got this campaign...

'Backspin on a work table under bad light. A kiss of the 8 ball a bank of the 6. Double ball on a single throw, three pints in. Picking up a spare on the final frame. Singing on key, off key and losing keys. Steady hands. Blurry eyes. Bars. Billiards. Basements. Bacon sandwiches with extra hot sauce. Surviving buzzkills, third wheels cockblocks and cabs in the ring. Flashlights drawn by dawn. 

These are the problems of the after hours athlete. 

When last call calls, don't answer. 

The night too is for sport, and they are the champions.'

I first saw any aspect of this campaign while in Berlin at the Bread & Butter Trade Show where they had print advertising everywhere and their stand was created into an ice bar offering an underground social club experience. This featured the after hours 'activities' featured in the advert, including darts, pool, table football and ping pong, that you can enjoy while having a beer.

The campaign has opened up a new side to sports brands and really communicated the lifestyle side of the company well, while still keeping the sporting side at the same time. It makes consumers feel that they can get involved and wear the brand even if they themselves are not sporty...because it is not all about what we stereotype to be sport. Puma offer an alternative product lifestyle which celebrates social activities that their consumers will relate to.

In terms of the text for the advertising (shown above) it is spoken in a language that will appeal to younger consumers by involving words and phrases that they can relate to. Also, the inclusion of disjointed sentences, with a lot of stopping and starting, starts to reflect the way that consumers will start to speak once they have had a few drinks during the 'after hours'

All in all I think this is an amazing concept....just wish that maybe we'd come up with it?

Oh well...well done Puma

NIKE MOVIE

As part of a recent campaign New Balance competitors Nike have released a viral movie called 'The Black Mamba'  featuring famous American basketball player Kobe Bryant.
Directed by Robert Rodriguez this viral uses a host of famous faces to keep consumer interest and builds a story behind this particular campaign; which will help consumers feel more involved and ultimately make them want to buy the products a lot more.

Although this kind of large scale video will not work for a understated brand like New Balance, it is good to know what other competitors are doing in terms of viral as it is a platform that will reach many of the right consumer groups.

Some kind of lower budget video would be much better for New Balance and it is obvious from what Nike and other competitors have created that a story is key when it comes to a good and successful campaign.

CONVERSE LOVES MARIMEKKO

Converse have collaborated with Marimekko, who are celebrating their 60th birthday this year. Marimekko is a textile design company renowned for its original prints and colours. This collaboration has turned all american converse sneakers into super cute, feminine pumps.
As a lover of Converse, I think these are brilliant! The low-tops are especially cute and will be perfect, with their girly prints, for Spring/Summer.

FACEBOOK AND TWITTER TRAINERS

Gerry Mckay, a Glasgow based designer has mocked up these amazing concept trainers, collaborating Adidas with the social networking sites Facebook and Twitter. "Facebook as a brand is increasingly on the rise and I thought it would be interesting to see what it would look like if Adidas also released a limited edition Facebook Superstar, so I worked on my own design of the shoe and this is what I came up with", said Mckay. Facebook and Twitter as a fashion brand is just waiting to happen, and this collaboration would be perfect.

I actually want the Twitter trainers...but I think it's the colours rather than the fact that they are branded with Twitter.

NIKE: FREE YOURSELF

This short video shows a variety of ordinary people in their Nike trainers doing impressive sporting tricks. This portrays the message that Nike is for the best of the best and can help you achieve your goals. The advert also involves consumers within the campaign which is a smart idea to help build consumer relationships and build a trust in the brand.

"Run. Jump. Skip. Pass. Train. Toss. Ride. Flip. Nobody Does it like you do. Whatever you're after or wherever you're going. Nike will take you there Free your stride. Free your style. Free yourself."

 -Nike

ADIDAS x DIESEL: DENIM COLLECTION & CAPSULE TRAINERS

Adidas and Diesel have collaborated many times in the past, but in 2009 they collaborated in the opposite way to which would be expected. We would expect them to collaborate in terms of trainers, with Diesel creating the designs, but instead Adidas have helped design and create a range of denim jeans for both men and women. This fresh, new concept aimed to attract lifestyle customers to purchase the Diesel brand.

After this successful collaboration the pair or brands put their thinking caps on once again and created a limited capsule trainers collection.

The limited edition collaboration is enough to make any sneaker freak rush down to Diesel with these new understated designs. Although subtle, there are still undertones of Diesel's cheeky nature with streaks of bright colour present. 

These had a large presence within the store in Nottingham; taking over the window display, stopping consumers in their tracks to have a look at the collection.

"The heritage of the two brands will come together, applying our spirit on Adidas classic kicks"

 Renzo Rosso (Founder)

NIKE: TRUE CITY

Once again Nike have come up with a successful route to their consumers through the use of iPhones and mobile technology. By creating a city guide application they are appealing directly to the lifestyle market. It engages the right market on a platform that had proven to be successful.

The iPhone app is aimed at creating a tiered travel or city guide for six different European cities. This app involves users directly by getting them to influence the city guide by using what they feel people should know about their city. 

This is an app for the people, by the people.

Here is the short report by WGSN on this new and exciting move from Nike...

'NIKE OFFERS CITY GUIDES WITH NEW IPHONE APP'
RACHEL ARTHUR, WGSN 19 JANUARY 2010

'Nike has launched an interactive iPhone app that provides users with an inside guide to six European cities while also allowing them to add their own content in real time.

"True City", created by digital agency AKQA, sees Nike Insiders posting regular updates in London, Berlin, Barcelona, Milan, Amsterdam and Paris, while users can then tag places they like, reports New Media Age.

The aim is to "Make the Hidden Visible", facilitated by mobile technology like geo-tagging and an embedded QR reader allowing access to locked content like local event listings.

There is also information on the latest product releases and users are encouraged to link in to Facebook Connect, adding a social media functionality.'

DRAPERS ARTICLES

I have created a collection of articles found in different Drapers magazines that will help with the New Balance brief and open our eyes to what competitors are currently doing to make their way up the lifestyle market.ONITSUKA TIGER ADVERTORIAL

Firstly a brand that I see as one of New Balance's main competitors, in terms of tone of voice and the product that they are selling, Onitsuka Tiger. This article holds a focus on how the brand use craftsmanship and intricate detailing on their trainers and how this is ultimately used to appeal to consumers. A trend in brands giving a personal feel to consumers has become obvious through research, and what better way than by focusing on the handmade aspect? This will make the consumer feel as though the trainer has been crafted especially for them.

HMV AND STREET FASHION
HMV are launchung a fashion range which includes ranges from Boxfresh and Fly53 - two street brands that are very popular within the lifestyle market. As a brand that is already perceived as 'cool' because of their large involvement with music a collaboration with lifestyle brands such as these could only increase their popularity with consumers and bring the popularity of buying CDs and music back into todays culture.

I believe that this is a smart collaboration for all brands involved and is something that New Balance could take inspiration from in terms of any future collaborations they are thinking about producing.

RUNNING IN HEELS

This article shows how Rockport have combined style and comfort within their footwear. This includes the creation of technology that has been incorporated into high heels to make them comortable (BRILLIANT!)
As New Balance are seen as innovators because of the support and comfort that they offer with their products I thought this was relevant to show how other companies are now using the the kind of technology that New Balance came up with, and taking it further into the market.

ADIDAS x INTEL: AN OFF THE WALL IDEA

In conjunction with Intel, Adidas have launched the Adidas adiVerse Virtual Footwear Wall, completely interactive virtual program that catalogs more than 8,000 of Adidas' footwear retail products.
To begin the adiVerse experience, a consumer can simply walk near the adiVerse Wall, and the program will determine your sex. From there, what you want to explore is up to you; adiVerse allows you to see all of Adidas’ footwear, with 360-degree touch-screen viewing as well as product information and marketing content available for viewing. The user can then request to physically view products using the display, the request is sent to a mobile tablet device  which each store assistant will have to hand.

I first found out about this new concept for visual merchandising from an article found in Drapers, seen below. I thought that this concept was really interesting and that it was good to see a lifestyle brand collaborating with a brand thats different to what you would consider as the norm. It makes sense to collaborate with a technology brand to be able to keep up with todays consumers who expect interactive experiences with brands when they go shopping.

The videos below introduce and explain the cirtual wall in more detail. I think this is a brilliant idea! And as visual merchandising is something that New Balance tends to be a bit lack lustre in  for the UK I think campaigns such as this are perfect to take inspiration from to bring something more interesting into stores to help consumers interact with the brand on a higher level.

NEW ERA HATS: BERLIN

New Era was a brand I had heard of before from a few friends that used to skateboard in London who knew people who would treat New Era hats as collectibles. This is similar to how New Balance fanatics collect their limited edition, and also shows how important collectible products are to 'Tier One' consumers and strong followers of the brand.

Below are the few pictures I took inside the flagship store; mostly of the limited edition hats (which were more like pieces of art than head wear). I think a brand such as New Era has got a good concept in terms of the lifestyle market as even their plain styles that come in many different colours can become collectibles.

I love their colour co-ordinated visual merchandising. This means that even their plain, ordinary hats are made to look interesting.

I loved this on as soon as I saw it...

It's basically a hat representing a beach, hence the see at the edge and the massive group of people surrounding the ice cream van.