Murals, OOH activations, and the Lime and Citymapper partnerships formed the multichannel campaign celebration
Performance footwear and sports apparel brand, HOKA, launched a colourful multichannel campaign in celebration of this month’s Hackney Half marathon.
The campaign, created by digital marketing shop Jellyfish, consisted of two specially-commissioned murals, out-of-home (OOH) activations, guerilla wildposting (also known as flyposting), and partnerships with Lime and Citymapper. HOKA also offered ‘Fly and Ride’ taxis to Hackney half finishers.
The murals, placed along the course of the race, were designed to resonate with the local community, featuring the message: “Let’s Fly Hackney”. It also rotated the names of brand ambassadors, running clubs, and athletes added in the run up to race day.
The Citymapper partnership featured display and location ads to generate pre-race awareness, driving the audience to HOKA’s community hubs and Covent Garden store.
The Lime partnership also brought 250 Lime bikes with HOKA branding on the streets between 20 April and 17 May. Throughout the campaign, 50 were also designated with ‘lucky’ QR code stickers, which runners could scan to sign up for a draw to win a place in next year’s event.
“This was a brilliant, wide-ranging, multichannel campaign that firmly embedded HOKA into the culture of the Hackney Half,” said Cynthia van der Moolen, EMEA marketing director at HOKA.
“By aligning with familiar neighbourhood cues, runner rituals and the rhythm of race weekend, the campaign creates emotionally resonant touchpoints that feel native to the area rather than imposed upon it.”
Anna Moore, Client Partner at Jellyfish, added: “Our focus was on making the campaign feel part of the community during race weekend. By combining creative street-level executions with partnerships that offered real utility to runners, we were able to connect with people in a way that felt both authentic and immediate.”
Leaders take
This bright, colourful, and encouraging campaign across Hackney’s half marathon that course fits well into the space, and adds to the enthusiastic and anticipative atmosphere surrounding the event.
The addition of the Lime bikes fits nicely into the sport-focused campaign, and the Fly & Ride taxis for race finishers is playful and uplifting. Murals are a fantastic way to creatively relay a brand’s identity while constructively adding to the neighbourhood and engaging with the community.
