- Foot Locker launched a latest global platform, “The Heart of Sneakers,” focused on the retailer’s role in sneaker culture, per a press release. The platform can be a part of all of the brand’s campaign, online and in-store experiences, events and more moving forward.
- In addition, Foot Locker has launched its 2023 holiday campaign that features NBA stars who’re also brand ambassadors: Kevin Durant with Nike, LaMelo Ball with Puma, Anthony Edwards with Adidas and Steph Curry with Under Armour.
- The campaign will run across TV, digital out-of-home, YouTube, TikTok, Instagram and other social channels and comes as Foot Locker attempts to execute a turnaround plan during a 12 months CEO Mary Dillon said has been “tougher than expected.”
Foot Locker has launched a latest brand platform and holiday campaign in tandem because it seeks to reassert its ties to sneaker culture and among the biggest names within the NBA. “The Heart of Sneakers,” created by agency of record Preacher, also focuses on the brand’s referee-styled store associates, generally known as Stripers.
“For nearly 50 years, our authentic connection to sneaker culture and our Stripers have been the magic behind Foot Locker… We’ll proceed to place the center of our company’s DNA front and center in communities globally, creating an unrivaled experience only found at Foot Locker,” said Kim Waldmann, global chief customer officer at Foot Locker, in a press release.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqk19IFWo5k
The brand’s 2023 holiday campaign revolves across the connection between sneaker culture and basketball. NBA stars, plus singer Enisa, feature in spots that show how Stripers bring “hype for the holidays.” In ads soundtracked by Wiz Khalifa’s “Hype Me Up,” Puma ambassador Ball teams with Stripers to ready a court for night basketball with glow-in-the-dark paint, while Adidas spokesperson Edwards calls on Stripers to hype up a young fan, video game-style.
Foot Locker has previously made sneaker culture a component of its marketing, as have brands as diverse as Chips Ahoy and Lexus, because the sneaker market continues to grow and is estimated by Statista to exceed $100 billion by 2026. Platforms like StockX and GOAT, wherein Foot Locker invested in 2019, have helped drive the market but additionally cut into sales channels of traditional retailers like Foot Locker.
The platform and campaign come as Foot Locker has faced what its CEO has called a “tougher than expected” 12 months that has seen the retailer cut corporate roles, shutter stores and wind down several banners. The company saw sales tumble 9.9% to $1.9 billion within the second quarter. Still, Foot Locker hopes to realize 25% digital sales by 2026, or near $2.5 billion, after a turnaround plan that features, amongst other things, an expansion of sneaker culture and an improvement of omnichannel operations.
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