Buzzy footwear brand Hoka unveils first global campaign as sales soar

After a blockbuster sales year, Hoka is boosting awareness even more with its first global brand campaign. The fast-growing footwear brand is releasing “Fly Human Fly,” a new tagline and push created with FCB, its new global agency of record. Originally called Hoka One One, which means “fly over earth” in the Maori language spoken in New Zealand, the 13-year-old brand shortened its name to just Hoka last year. It is owned by Deckers Outdoor Corp., whose other brands include Teva and UGG. Consumers have gravitated toward Hoka's bold and cushioned styles. For the year ended March 31, Hoka’s global sales grew 56% to $891.6 million, compared to the year earlier, paving the way for Hoka to become a billion-dollar brand. While Hoka has run product-specific campaigns previously, this is its first holistic brand campaign, according to Norma Delaney, a marketing veteran who previously worked at New Balance and Adidas before joining Hoka as VP of global marketing last year. She noted that despite Hoka’s recent momentum, its brand awareness only stands at around 18% in the U.S. Brands on the rise A look at up-and-coming brands disrupting their categories Read more here “We wanted to really think about our brand values and what we really believe in is this joy and optimism and possibility that comes from moving your body,” said Delaney. “If you look at the category, the big brands focus on competition—someone has to lose.” She added that in contrast, Hoka’s superpower is around being human and “welcoming.” The new campaign includes a 60-second hero film called “Pursuit” that offers a surreal look at the bright joy people feel when running. Spots will air on connected TV and digital channels. As part of the push, which will roll out to more than 32 countries, Hoka will run out-of-home and digital marketing, along with a QR code-enabled experiential activation where consumers can potentially appear in the “Fly Human Fly” creative if they share photos with the brand. As it seeks to build awareness with new customers, Hoka wants to maintain appeal with its loyal customers who are passionate runners. “We have messaging to our core audience—that pinnacle elite athlete their experiences of joy and possibility take on a different shape,” said Delaney, noting support around the Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc mountain ultramarathon in August. Hoka began working with FCB in August following a search for a global agency. The brand also worked with Jellyfish on media. ~ ~ ~CORRECTION: A previous version of the story reported that Hoka is updating its logo. The brand later clarified that the logo will not change.

Buzzy footwear brand Hoka unveils first global campaign as sales soar

Featured Stories