Over the course of this high school track season one thing was consistent with distance runners, they were rocking Brooks. Brooks has slowly gained ground in the performance running category and the brand did so while forgoing the chase for cool. They focused on their previous slogan “Run Happy” to empower small specialty running shops and instead of attempting to flood the market when a style became popular, they controlled distribution. The result was growing into a billion-dollar brand.
The transition to a new CEO barely registered in running circles or in track and field. This is important. It shows cohesiveness. While other brands tend to shift in tumultuous times, Brooks chose to make the move after an extremely successful, long-term run by Jim Weber. “Jim Weber will step down as Chief Executive Officer after 23 years in the position. Dan Sheridan, who currently serves as President and Chief Operating Officer, will become Brooks’ next CEO, effective April 26, 2024.”
Along with the change in CEOs, the theme of Run Happy has been overtaken by Let’s Run There. The new campaign arrives with a major financial investment
The Let’s Run There advertising campaign is the largest developed by Brooks’ Creative Lab since the brand moved its AOR work in-house in 2022. For the anthem content, Brooks invested in its first major pop music license, “Burning” by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs…
In the U.S., the platform will launch with a media mix featuring out of home assets (OOH) in key markets such as New York City and Los Angeles, through traditional OOH and digital transit takeovers, and a Hollywood Bowl activation. CTV, OLV, live sports, social and display channels will be deployed to reach a broad audience. Making up 28% of overall paid media spend vs. all other campaigns in 2024, and an increase in year-over-year Brand spend of 19% for the same period, the campaign is poised to make an impact.
The strategy of increasing adspend in an Olympic year is common practice, but Brooks doesn’t really do traditional things. The company’s growth, unlike Hoka and On, hasn’t included collaborative efforts in fashion. There haven’t been any hyped product launches, although they could easily build an entire strategy around the Hyperion Elite. Brooks isn’t resting on the accomplishments of the previous administration and Let’s Run There offers a motivational message for fans and the company.
There is also room for additional strategies on the path to THERE. It will be interesting to see if Brooks implements a more developed track and field strategy as Paris 24 looms. If regional events are an indication, with just a bit more direction Brooks could capture new demographics beyond middle and long distance.