In 2015, the adidas Ultraboost running shoe hit the streets as the first of its kind. Sitting on a brand new midsole compound, Ultraboost introduced the concept of “energy return”—a positive feedback loop between runner and shoe. Ultraboost gained traction fast, and soon became the first running shoe that had serious hype to go with it.

In fact, Ultraboost made such an impact on the sneaker market that it began to lose credibility as a true performance shoe. With competitors also beginning to muscle in on the space, adidas saw a need to defend their position with the global launch of Ultraboost 19.

Ultraboost 19 would be the shoe that reaffirmed adidas as an authority on running—and the Ultraboost franchise as an icon of the sport. Our role was to create an omni-channel campaign experience that connected all points of the consumer journey, ultimately driving to purchase.

Ultraboost 19 would be a story of co-creation—bringing runners behind the curtain at adidas to help design the ultimate performance running shoe. This was bigger than a simple product launch; it was about celebrating the runners and run crews that were driving the sport forward. Ultraboost 19 was brought together with one simple word: "Reboosted.” Now, it was just a matter of translating its story across the entire consumer journey.

To create Ultraboost 19, adidas would go back to the community that made Ultraboost such a success in the first place—bringing together 4,000 runners to reimagine what a performance shoe could be. The target audience prioritized running in their lives and saw running shoes as an investment. Their unique take on fitness, health, and fashion positioned them as major influencers for friends and fam. They wanted a product that could justify its high price tag.

No digital touchpoint was spared for Ultraboost 19. First up: building hype with bespoke toolkits to support the limited edition, pre-release colorways of the shoe. We engaged consumers like never before with personalized CRM content, and designed custom creative tools to enhance the purchase experience every step of the way.

We even spearheaded the brand's first foray into editorial content with long-form write-ups that further established adidas as an authority in running—and driving SEO. Every touchpoint was our challenge to communicate the performance benefits of Ultraboost 19 in a bold and engaging way.

On the retail front, we continued the Ultraboost 19 story with digital activations that brought the features of the shoe to life, creating smart fixtures that animated when customers interacted with footwear and apparel. We also reimagined the traditional window display and visual merchandising setup, blending the physical with the digital to immerse customers in the space.

The response. Was. Huge. When Ultraboost 19 finally hit the shelves, adidas saw significant product sell-through in just the first ten days.