(FILA Luxembourg S.à r.l.) FILA is launching an exciting new digital campaign to mark the 50th anniversary of the brand’s debut in the world of sports. It highlights the passion, elegance and
PLEASE Click Through and Watch the Fisrt Campaign Video Before Reading this Post: Fila celebrates 50 years of game changing in a new campaign featuring sporting greats
A few years ago, I began watching FILA as the brand attempted to pivot and regain fans in the U.S. The rich Italian heritage of the brand seems to have taken a backseat as ownership is now rooted in South Korea under the Fila Korea Company and helmed by Gene Yoon. The interesting aspect is FILA in South Korea is worn by K-Pop stars and it has a more elevated perception internationally, but the U.S. market feels mired in complex distribution strategies. FILA is intriguing because as a classic brand in sport and lifestyle, the company has all of the elements to make the same push that Puma and New Balance have, but whenever ownership sits in another country and a brand is attempting to recapture marketshare, there is always a disconnect. In countless articles I’ve discussed the wholesale strategy of Fila and how it undercuts the more premium positioning the company is attempting to establish in fashion and performance internationally.
Fila utilizes a push model and has flooded wholesale channels creating confusion over the years. Is it a discount brand to be purchased at low-end retail outlets, or is it a brand capable of creating collabs with Krost and Brooks Brothers? The continued confusing marketing is about to be more amplified. The brand’s latest campaign celebrating 50 years is stiff and it feels like the brand is attempting to be as vanilla as possible. The copy reads, “FILA is launching an exciting new digital campaign to mark the 50th anniversary of the brand’s debut in the world of sports. It highlights the passion, elegance and Italian heritage that has driven FILA over the past half century.” The video (stills pictured throughout this post) utilizes a controlled, measured and frankly, boring voice to highlight considerable accomplishments by Fila athletes. The problem is the celebration feels distant and watching the video doesn’t inspire any connection or emotion. There may be a reason for this.
In recent months there has been a public battle between Brand I Am and Fila. The founder of Brand I Am is Drew Greer a long-time sneaker industry veteran. After months of venting public frustration with FILA on LinkedIn, FILA’s new campaign feels dirty for lack of a better word. What wants to be a celebration is devoid of excitement, but most important, it is devoid of love. When FILA decided to sponsor Alessandra Chillemi, I explained that it felt forced. I wanted to give it a good grade since the dancer would be competing in the B-Boying competition in the upcoming Olympics, but for a company with such a rich history in Hip-Hop and sport, this endorsement felt safe and by default boring. FILA’s new campaign is built on LOVE, but the messaging throughout LinkedIn between Drew Greer and the company is his marketing pitch was labeled as ghetto, although it appears his concept was built on LOVE as well.
Greer’s 50LOVE concept captures the element of both sport and culture. Love is a term to signify zero in tennis. FILA’s latest campaign appears to alter the concept to “Without Love” and it simply doesn’t hit the same way it should. According to the information, which can be found via a search on LinkedIn, Greer was labeled as “ghetto” by an employee of the brand behind closed doors. A public confrontation is usually the last thing any parties want, but in this instance my perception of FILA is certainly influenced negatively. Could my knowledge of this conflict be shaping my thoughts on FILA’s latest marketing campaign? Take a moment to use this link to view the video and please let me know if you think the campaign falls short on this initial push.