Why Vans’ new CMO is bringing the brand back to its skateboarding roots

As Vans tries to regain its footing after recent sales stumbles, the brand is turning to its tried and true skateboarding roots as part of a new marketing strategy. Leading the charge is Drieke Leenknegt, a marketing veteran who joined VF Corp.-owned Vans last year as global chief marketing officer. “We always have put skateboarding at the center, but the big difference is that we are now evolving our brand with a completely new generation of riders that represent the ultimate diversity of youth culture,” said Leenknegt, who previously worked at brands including Timberland and Nike. “As a brand, reignition comes from knowing who you are and having that authenticity in skate culture then continuing to partner with future generations and change with them.” 40 under 40 entries are open The final deadline for nominations is Aug. 2 Enter here She likened the new push to a reconnection with “the essence of skateboarding,” something Leenknegt said Vans had distanced itself from in recent years for its global storytelling. Vans plans to roll out a new campaign next month. “Always Pushing” will feature skateboarders Lizzie Armanto and Cocona Hiraki and BMX athlete Perris Benegas alongside other athletes. The campaign was created internally and directed by Alex 2Tone, with OMD handling media duties. “Our media approach is a mashup of being global and hyper-local, digital, gamified and ‘phygital’—physical digital,” said Leenknegt, noting the work will appear out-of-home and on TikTok, Snapchat and Instagram as well as Twitch. Vans will host events in cities including Toronto and Los Angeles. Ads will stream on Peacock during the Olympics, followed by back-to-school and holiday iterations later this year. “Always Pushing” will replace Vans’ “This is Off the Wall” global campaign, which ran from April 2023 through the end of last year. That effort, from Anomaly, was originally described as designed to “empower a new generation of creative voyagers as they embark on their own path of self-discovery.” The new push comes as Vans sales continue to sputter. For the most recent quarter, the brand reported a 26% drop in revenue from a year earlier, to $631.2 million. Overall fiscal fourth-quarter revenue for parent VF Corp. fell 13% to $2.4 billion. VF CEO and President Bracken Darrell has said the brand mistakenly followed trends rather than its target youth audience. He has also said that Vans had too many different marketing stories rather than one powerful and consistent story. Last month, Vans hired Sun Choe, who had been serving as chief product officer at Lululemon, as its new global brand president. “Sun is a strong leader who is focused on consumer insight and has a proven track record of driving brand heat, and translating it into financial results,” Darrell said in a statement about the appointment. Check out the latest Ad Age events and award programs

Why Vans’ new CMO is bringing the brand back to its skateboarding roots

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