Kickers appoints Naked as it ramps up marketing effort

Naked Communications is understood to have been appointed to handle a strategic communications brief for footwear and clothing brand Kickers.

It is thought that the agency will work alongside creative agency Karmarama, which won the above-the-line account earlier this year (MW February 2).

The Pentland Group, which owns the brand, is keen to re-establish the Kickers brand, which was popular during the 1990s but has since fallen out of favour. Pentland has traditionally relied on word of mouth and PR, but is now understood to be planning to significantly increase its marketing spend. It follows the opening of a Kickers-branded concept store in the Gateshead Metro Centre last spring.

Naked declined to comment on the appointment as Marketing Week went to press.

There has been limited advertising for the Kicker’s brand in recent years. The account was previously handled by Mother, which won the business in 1997, the same year the fashion label extended its core shoe business, launching branded clothing. Mother produced the “well-stitched” campaign before Kickers took its advertising in house to Pentland Visual Communications.

Last year, Pentland-owned swimwear brand Speedo International appointed DDB London to develop a global branding campaign.