launching a custom nike shoe

USA Track and Field (USATF) is the focal point around which the track and field community continues to grow. Matchbook and USATF have worked together on many projects, one of the most notable was for the launch of its exclusive Nike shoe, the Pegasus 35. The goal of this project was to create a strategically designed product launch to increase sales of the Pegasus 35.

On the Right Track

Matchbook began this project by outlining the overall strategy for the campaign, making sure to tailor the content and messaging to capture USATF’s target audiences. The Pegasus 35 custom shoe features one blue and one red shoe, highlighting a delicate balance of and need for coordination between two sides. The duality of the shoe’s design inspired the campaign’s overall left brain versus right brain (analytical versus creative) approach. Matchbook’s launch strategy focused on social media to hit the highest reach and potential for conversion.

Hitting Our Stride

In preparing the creative for this campaign, Matchbook enhanced USATF’s merchandise marketing practices moving from still graphics and single images to animated videos and multi-image shares. Strategizing a ‘render to reality’ component, Matchbook’s first video for the launch took the shoe from blueprint to final form. A 360-degree video was also created to highlight the shoes attributes and emphasize the unique, two-toned design.

To generate buzz for his campaign, Matchbook engaged USATF’s audiences and related influencers to share their own stories about the shoes to further the conversation. Past Olympians, such as Bernard Lagat, posted their shoe’s arrival on social media, furthering the reach and perception of the product. A strategic and precise launch schedule allowed for more controlled messaging across multiple platforms and the ability to create interest and demand before igniting sales.

Crossing the Finish Line

In the first two months, USATF saw a 132% increase in revenue from that year’s launch compared to the previous year’s shoe and sold out of the majority of its limited-edition product. The launch video post alone garnered nearly 15,000 views, with engagement in social media promotions consistently in the thousands. In the first month of launch, visitation to the online merchandise store was up 83% from the previous month, with sessions nearly doubling one month into launch.

Setting the right intentions through this campaign, USATF saw immediate success in hitting their sales goals and velocity for the Pegasus 35 Nike custom shoe release.