PROJECTION MAPPING

I've found this really interesting video showing New Balance using projection mapping within an advertising campaign where they actually project onto one of their shoes. This looks amazing and I feel really reflects the feel that New Balance wish to express to the UK, in terms of their lifestyle products.

Something like this would be perfect to portray a 'cool' but still niche brand to the UK public and would potentially appeal to both their Tier 1 and Tier 2 consumers, although it has also been used by other high profile companies such as Nike, and car manufacturers such as Toyota and SEAT.

The use of projection mapping would be perfect for an in-store environment to catch the eye of potential consumers, as currently New Balance do not have much of a store presence within the UK.

Here are some more examples of projection mapping that other companies have used:

As well as Nike Toyota and H&M have both dipped into projection mapping to help promote their brand. Toyota use it within TV advertising while H&M use it to open their new store in Amsterdam

I think this method would be really effective in terms of promoting a lifestyle brand, especially as main competitors such as Nike have already had success with it and other brands who wish to give out a 'cool' or street feel to consumers such as car brands.

LETS MAKE EXCELLENT HAPPEN

This new advertising campaign, releasing this week, for New Balance introduces New Balance 890s; with RevLite technology.

The campaign titled 'MAKE EXCELLENT HAPPEN' is designed to motivate and inspire active consumers to reach a new level of personal performance; a new level of excellent.

The video below shows the TV campaign that will be released world wide featuring a New Balance track built at Pier 54 in New York, where New Balance athletes celebrate competition as a way to inspire themselves and others to achieve new levels of performance.

PRINT FOR LETS MAKE EXCELLENT HAPPEN:

'Excellent is built from the ground up.

Excellent proves itself every day.Excellent raises the bar, and dares us all to raise it higher.

New Balance: Lets Make Excellent Happen.'

Below are some examples of the print advertising featured for this campaign, showing New Balance's large focus on running. So while this could seem like quite an interesting campaign in terms of their running shoes; it is not very helpful for their lifestyle shoes, and in turn our brief.

GREY IS BEAUTIFUL.

New Balance 2010/11 Advertising Campaign

Current advertising used by New Balance found in …………….

“New Balance Lifestyle combines classic designs from the past with bold ideas from the future. We create shoes that celebrate heritage, craftsmanship, innovation, imagination, and our deeply held belief that grey is beautiful.” 
The text featured within the advert highlights the main values of New Balance and a black and white campaign with hints of colours on the trainers adds to the feeling of simplicity that they are trying to portray.

The “belief that grey is beautiful” shows the love of simplicity and classic looks that New Balance continuously uses for their trainers, using plain colours such as black, grey, white, blue and burgandy (which can be seen in the advert).

CLASSIC THEN. CLASSIC NOW.

New Balance 2010/11 Advertising Campaign

Current advertising used by New Balance found in …………….

This advert seems relevant for the brief, in terms of appealing to our tier 2 Opinion Former, as it is set out in a street style with graffiti in the background and the trainers placed into a street background as though they are rebelling.
It is similar to ad campaigns seen from competition such as Addidas and Converse which are seen as more established lifestyle trainer brands than New Balance. Following advertising such as this will help New Balance to establish themselves as popular lifestyle trainers within the more common tier 2 and tier 3 consumers but could also result in New Balance loosing their heritage and main feel of the brand.

The slogan used, “Classic Then. Classic Now” highlights the brands values of heritage and classic and simple designs. Current adverts such as these further highlight how any ideas developed throughout this project must not shadow or hide the brands values.
If possible I must aim to highlight these values further, but in a way that will appeal to similar consumers to my Opinion Former.

NEW BALANCE: 100 YEARS IN 100 SECONDS

Just a little video capturing the main aspects of New Balance's life as a brand so far...

New Balance has now been around for over 100 years (one hundred and five years to be exact) creating and designing innovative trainers offering support for the foot. Their innovative ideas allowing them to become the first company in the trainer industry to provide such support for the foot.

They not only offer half sizes in all of their products but also different widths for any sports or running trainers, creating a near perfect fit for feet of all shapes and sizes. By becoming the first trainer brand to realise the potential of offering'perfect fit' shoes, that supported and looked after your feet as you wore them, New Balance immediately positioned themselves as innovators within the market.

New Balance's main focus has always been on their running shoes; as this is where they found success, and seen over and over again within their advertising campaigns. They intend to stick to their heritage through all new products and even when promoting their lifestyle trainers the company is still seen to include running wherever possible within the campaign.
So while they continuously promote the running aspect of their brand it seems that their lifestyle trainers get a bit left behind; especially in the UK where they are still to hit the public full-on.

So our aim for this project is to create a communication strategy that will raise awareness, within the UK, about their lifestyle trainers and help them on their way to reach the popularity and hype that the brand receives in the USA and Japan.