Source: New Balance Unveils the Newest Version of the FreshFoam X Family with the FreshFoam X 1080v13
When a brand delivers a new product and they roll it out with imagery across the spectrum without leaning on retro or trying to coax sneakerheads into buying into their brand, it shows an understanding that the majority of the marketplace has no idea of what the initials JFG represent. This is not a slight, it’s an acknowledgement that a marketing team is doing the work required to cross all segments.
Look at the three pictures in this post. What do you see? If this was a class, I’d cross my arms and wait on responses. Since this isn’t a class, I’ll guess what the responses would be.
- Two women and a man.
- A lady with her child exercising
- A man preparing to run sitting on his stoop to tie his sneakers.
All of those would be correct. There would be a second wave of answers because the class would be warmed up.
- An older man who is still keeping fit. He lives in New York and is probably going to get his morning mile or two in before his day begins.
- A mom looking to offset postpartum. It’s proven that physical activity after delivery can reduce the likelihood of depression and engage a baby with visual and sound stimulation.
- An athlete who is participating in Kevin Hart’s “Cold as balls” tv show.
There would finally be an acknowledgement of the athlete in the picture by someone familiar with the “niche” sport of track and field. That person would say, “Yo, that’s Gabby Thomas!” This recognition gives validity to the product that isn’t the focus of the imagery. New Balance has connected to 7 different audiences with three images. They reached the general consumer, they connected with more perceptive consumers, and they nailed a relationship with athletes.
Note in this post I haven’t mentioned the new Fresh Foam running shoe? I haven’t had to. You see the sneaker, but it isn’t the most important aspect of the campaign New Balance created. New Balance is showing the pre-run process, an adjustment during the activity, and the post run recovery process. The Fresh Foam X 1080v13 is in every frame as support for the moment. It’s a tool that any person from a young mother to an older man can utilize to become a better version of themselves. No hype needed. No limited release activations required, just a trainer and the people, pros and amateurs gaining their balance.