K-Swiss sought to re-invigorate their brand by introducing a new training shoe (Tubes) and by getting K-Swiss back into the sports culture conversation. The audience was sport-minded guys in the US who shop at the mall and who have little relationship with K-Swiss.

To compound the problem, the category is crowded with outlandish technologies and campaigns from big brands like Nike, Reebok, and Adidas who spend huge dollars to stand out and endorse the best athletes in the world.

K-Swiss couldn’t stand out playing by typical sports marketing rules.

So we signed fictional sports anti-hero Kenny Powers. Kenny gave K-Swiss an unfiltered, controversial voice that could grab the attention of young influential guys while endorsing Tubes, a very simple and intuitive technology that sort of look like Kenny invented them.

We seeded the idea through broad sports press (USA Today, Sports Illustrated) and a partnership with funnyordie.com through which we showed Kenny getting signed by the president of K-Swiss.

Hardcore fans of Kenny Powers created a groundswell through social media which was followed by a paid media campaign featuring TV spots, OOH spectaculars, print, wild postings and subway cards.

Once your interest was piqued, you were rewarded online at K-Swiss' Facebook page, which invited you to download the “Workout Wingman.” An application that enabled Kenny Powers to take over your Facebook page. Also, housed on Facebook was an interactive film highlighting product benefits hosted by Kenny Powers as well as content films from the campaign. The campaign was rounded off with a digital buy partnering with ESPN, which included a homepage takeover where Kenny interacted (doing training exercises) with the real estate on site.

The campaign resulted in significant shifts for both the company and consumer engagement with the brand:- 250% increase in online sales.

- Domestic futures up 50%.- 1MM earned media views on FunnyorDie.

- 900% increase in Facebook fans; 1200% increase in engagement.

- "Shoe brand with the biggest buzz" in Footwear News, above Nike.