Overview

A promotion and PR event was planned and managed for a new running shoe launched by New Balance in summer 2021.

The project aimed to support both runners—struggling to stay motivated due to the summer heat and cancelled running competitions—and Japanese food producers affected by the Covid pandemic. During the duration of the event, fresh local foods were delivered from all over Japan according to the distance run as tracked by a running app.

Using the block of time between the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics, Fuwa-chan (a Japanese celebrity) was able to appear at PR events, despite the state of emergency at the time.

A total of 251 media exposures were obtained. The event’s context of supporting local producers across Japan garnered a great deal of interest and led to extensive coverage outside of the usual sports and running-related media.