New Balance: The Runaway Pub

New Balance, a sportswear brand, created The Runaway pub, a pub specifically for runners where the only way to pay for a pint was with miles run, to connect with London Marathon runners in the UK.

The Runaway / Summary

Marathons fuel human potential

Marathons bring runners closer to their communities

Training for marathons is abject torture

The Runaway Pub

We helped New Balance activate its sponsorship of the Virgin Money London Marathon and show runners that the brand truly gets running.

We achieved this by tossing aside the marathon marketing playbook (Elite runners! Emotional stories of perseverance! Strangers hugging at the finish line!), and focusing not on celebrating runners' highs, but on alleviating their lows.

By talking to runners, we learned that while the London marathon — with its wacky, party-like atmosphere and community togetherness...

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