K-Swiss to board urban bandwagon
K-Swiss is embarking on a major burst of marketing activity in the UK as it seeks to reposition itself as an urban lifestyle brand.
The sports shoe brand is launching a TV campaign next month to support its new footwear line, Ariake. It is also launching its first apparel range for spring/ summer, which will be supported by a print campaign across men’s magazines.
The activity is part of a pan-European brand-building drive as K-Swiss repositions itself to appeal to an urban market as well as court and sports shoes consumers.
The company has formed a partnership with Sebastien Foucan, the pioneer of urban street sport, free running. Foucan appears in the TV and print ads, and in an interactive viral campaign, launched this week. It shows him leaping from letters of the alphabet, typed out by site users.
Amsterdam-based agency Smiler was recently appointed as European creative agency for the brand and has developed the TV and print work. WiseCrackers, also based in Amsterdam, is handling its media planning and buying. The viral campaign was created by digital media agency GoViral.
