Launching Birkenstock’s first recovery-focused campaign for runners
While BIRKENSTOCK is known for its iconic design and contoured footbed, they aren’t immediately associated with post-workout recovery. The Charles Group created a strategy based on deep audience insights and media habits to increase brand awareness as a recovery product for runners. The strategy allowed the creative to speak directly to runners using insider language because runners know how much recovery matters.
Because storytelling and authenticity were so important to this demographic, we focused on the real stories of two world-class ultramarathoners — Arden Young and Scott Jurek.
I led the team of designers, copywriters, and strategists to transform these real runners’ stories into the campaign website, paid media, and social assets. My role was not only to drive the creative production but also to create content designed to pull audiences through the funnel.
Campaign visuals focused on the symmetry and contours between the human body and Birkenstock's footbed.
This reinforced one of the campaign’s key messages:
You are designed for running. Birkenstock is engineered for recovery.
