Dive Brief:
- Running brand Saucony today (March 4) launched a global campaign celebrating its heritage and the ways that running intersects with culture, per details shared with Marketing Dive.
- “Run as One” includes a 30-second anthem spot meant to showcase the sense of connection and shared purpose captured when individuals run together. Saucony will also host a series of global run club events both in-person and virtually, including coffee shop residencies.
- The campaign will span out-of-home in markets like Boston, London and Paris, connected TV, online video, social and display channels. The effort comes following a challenging year for Saucony as competition in the running category intensifies.
Dive Insight:
Wolverine World Wide’s Saucony is paying tribute to running culture and its own century-long heritage — the brand was founded in 1898 — with “Run as One.” The emotionally led campaign could strike a chord with consumers who are seeking positivity and help Saucony bounce back from a challenging year. The brand saw revenue fall 18% year over year in 2024, though its parent company, which itself saw a 21% YoY decline, remains optimistic for 2025 following the ongoing realization of a transformation strategy launched in 2023.
Key to “Run as One” is a 30-second video spot that features Saucony athlete Vanessa Fraser and creative collaborator Jae Tips. The spot goes back and forth between various clips of Fraser leading a group run and an individual rushing to deliver a coffee order as a voiceover preaches the concept that when we work together, we can achieve more than we could alone.
“Our Run as One campaign is a celebration of the shared journey that people around the world embark on every day. Whether you’re a seasoned marathoner or running to meet friends, we are all connected and together, we can uplift one another and achieve the extraordinary,” said Joy Allen-Altimare, Saucony’s global CMO, in release details.
“Run as One” was developed with The Agency, Wolverine World Wide’s in-house creative agency, and led by Saucony Creative Director Gus Johnston. The effort was produced by the company’s in-house production company, The Den, in partnership with Happy Place director Cam Hicks and photographer Will Reid.
In addition to its spot, Saucony will also facilitate a series of global run club events, including coffee shop residences, which will begin March 4 at Ludlow Coffee Supply in New York City before traveling to Boston, London, Grand Rapids, Michigan, and other cities across the globe. Each residency will feature exclusive events with collaborators and friends of the brand and was inspired by Saucony’s collaboration with Collision Run Club to create Café Vestiaire during Paris Fashion Week in January, per release details.
A sprawling marketing effort from Saucony also arrives as the running category sees fresh competition from younger players like Hoka and On, which have risen as challengers to giants like Adidas and Nike, the latter of which has seen some of its favorability among runners slip. Hoka last summer launched “We Are All Born to Fly,” a global ad campaign that expands a platform introduced on the back of strong sales momentum. In February, On launched a campaign that touts the idea of “Soft Wins” and features Sesame Street’s Elmo.
Meanwhile, Nike is continuing to shift dollars away from performance marketing and into brand building as part of its fight to return to growth. The brand this year made its first Super Bowl appearance in nearly three decades with a spot championing women athletes. Around the same time, Adidas entered the next phase of its latest global brand campaign with an effort centered around the pressure athletes face and the people who help them overcome self-doubt.