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Billboards addressing shoe addicts were positioned around Europe
In 2008, shoe retailing giant HUMANIC decided to refresh their brand with a new 360-degree advertising and branding campaign. They wanted it to be provocative, imaginative and memorable, which is why they approached Story Worldwide.
After carefully analysing the existing HUMANIC brand, Story pitched the idea of “shoe addiction” as the key theme for 2009. We then devised, storyboarded and conducted a photo-shoot for a multi-channel campaign, before passing it to our localisation specialists to tailor it to 11 European markets.
The campaign was rolled out in more than 150 stores
The first wave of the provocative campaign went live in Spring 2009, with the story of shoe addiction told across billboards, print ads, store windows, PoS collateral and the official HUMANIC website. Throughout, we facetiously suggested that shoe addiction is a serious condition – and even prompted addicts to “test their resolve” by visiting their nearest HUMANIC store.
Story has now finished work on the Summer campaign, which will go live within a matter of months. Work is also underway on an exciting and daring campaign for Autumn/Winter.
A short training video was made for HUMANIC personnel
Story has also reached out to HUMANIC employees to maximise the potential of the campaign. To do so, we created a mock training video, starring the two models featured in the consumer-facing ads. The video (featuring a “Dr Hugh Manic”) offers advice on spotting shoe addicts in-store.Story’s ident is seen by millions each week
To increase awareness further, Story created a HUMANIC ident that has been shown before and after two of Europe’s most popular TV fashion shows: Top Star Magazín in Hungary and Stylista in the Czech Republic. Using graphic animation to create a shoe from letters of the alphabet – as though generated by a person typing on their keyboard – we played on the idea of shoe addiction and obsession.
HUMANIC can now sell online
Story has even helped HUMANIC to sell its shoes online by designing the brand look and feel for the company’s new e-commerce website. Available in Germany and Austria, and soon launching in 2009 across a number of other Central European countries, the website gives HUMANIC an opportunity to reach out to new customers and enhance existing relationships, reinforcing the brand’s association with shoe addiction in the process. -
