Recent studies suggest that those with written goals achieved approximately 50% more of their goals than those without. Inspired by athletes on the New Balance roster, we found their passion and future possibilities were even more compelling than their current statistics and performance.

This led to a simple provocation - what would you tell yourself the next time you face a big challenge?

In partnership with The Player’s Tribune we evolved their popular editorial franchise, “Letter To My Younger Self”, to focus on future potential instead of prior regret. New Balance athletes could, in their own words, capture the values, conviction and experience that defined their character and fueled their athletic performance, to reflect upon throughout their career and lives.

As Danish philosopher Soren Kierkegaard said “Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards." We aimed to inspire this reflection around the globe.

Letters to My Future Self included three global hero films featuring Boris Berian, Alexis Sablone, and Milos Raonic, and supporting films relevant to local markets. The campaign launched in Q1 of 2017 on the Player’s Tribune and globally through New Balance owned channels.

On New Balance channels, audiences could digitally watch the full film, read the athlete letters, shop the look and write a letter to their future to be emailed back to them one year later. On The Player’s Tribune the campaign fit naturally within their editorial to further emotionally engage audiences. The digital campaign was supported in-store and with advertising.

Global activation ensured consistency throughout the campaign. We collaborated with Regional markets to translate the content in ~30 languages and create additional regional films for local relevance on a global scale. Athletes and influencers around the world also participated in the social campaign by sharing wisdom with #MyFutureSelf.

We did more than just drive video views; we created the most successful global campaign ever for New Balance to drive reappraisal and consideration of New Balance as an independent performance sports brand with character.

The most viewed global campaign ever for New Balance

40MM+ Views

6200% + increase in total watch time compared to same time period prior

+40% increase in YouTube subscribers

+10K uses of the #MyFutureSelf hashtag in social media

70% New Balance athlete participation. The highest of any New Balance campaign

+10MM Press impressions

Global spike in brand consideration with best in class results. Across all measured markets (U.S., Japan, Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore with additional market results still being measured):

+17-38% lift in brand consideration among video viewers

+27% increase in Purchase Intent

+35% increase in brand favorability