- Vans unveiled its 2023 global brand campaign, the primary fruit born from a new “brand foundation” that encourages self-discovery through creativity, per details shared with Marketing Dive.
- “This is Off the Wall” enlists ambassadors from a spread of backgrounds, including sports, music, fashion and art, and depicts them in colourful but distorted ways. Beatrice Domond, Felipe Nunes, Irene Kim, Cocona Hiraki, Little Simz, Arthur Bray and Salome Agbaroji are amongst its partners.
- Vans can also be introducing a Knu Skool model that gives a contemporary tackle its ‘90s low-top sneakers, with an oversized design. The revamped creative approach and product additions come as the corporate tries to reignite sales following recent business challenges.
Vans is enacting the subsequent step of its turnaround plan with a global marketing campaign that encourages people to look inward to seek out their authentic selves. The reflective themes intend to acknowledge a change in consumer considering caused through the pandemic years, when many reevaluated their priorities.
“During the pandemic, consumers’ idea of creative expression shifted away from ‘this thing that you just do for external validation’ toward a journey of self-discovery,” said Carly Gomez, Vans’ vice chairman of global brand management, in a press statement.
The refreshed positioning, or “brand foundation,” uses the muse of a “creative voyager.” That concept is embodied in an envoy roster that features Vans Skate team athletes Felipe Nunes and Beatrice Domond, Ireneisgood founder Irene Kim and musician Little Simz, amongst others. Ads depict these subjects in blurry, colourful portraits that capture a way of movement and dynamism.
On the product end, Vans is jumping on renewed interest in ‘90s and Y2K apparel with the Knu Skool shoe drop. The model goals to place a fresh spin on skate shoes from a long time past and aligns with a bigger trend toward chunky footwear.
“This is Off The Wall” follows a period of slumping sales for VF Corp.-owned Vans. Prior to the pandemic, the brand consistently notched double-digit growth, in line with Business of Fashion (BoF). But sales were down 13% toward the tail end of 2022, a period marked by sharp inflation and stiffer competition from rivals like Nike. Vans is now working to streamline its marketing strategy and product assortment, while also bringing new styles to market, per BoF.
On the marketing front, Vans has said it’s in search of more buzzy collaboration opportunities, a possible appeal to the hypebeast and sneakerhead crowds. But it’s also rolled out sneakers that provide higher comfort, resembling a ComfyCush line first released in 2019, because it tries to achieve a wider range of consumers. Much of Vans’ new vision has been overseen by marketing chief Kristin Harrer, who joined VF Corp. from Dollar Shave Club in 2021.
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