Vans created the original and definitive skate shoe. It was the brand of choice for the kids who turned skateboarding into a cultural phenomenon. But after decades of success with the core, Vans needed to grow the business with intention and introduce more people to their products. How could Vans grow their audience, without losing the authenticity that originally made them cool? Enter Vans’s ComfyCush insole technology. Designed to be integrated into all their classic shoe styles, ComfyCush makes shoes wearable comfortable enough to wear all day, everyday. ComfyCush would open up Vans to a new audience, one that demanded style and comfort -- and would help Vans steal its rightful share behemoths like Nike and Adidas. Our job was to launch ComfyCush to the world and grow the base, in a way that would also resonate with the loyalists who made this brand a success in the first

Our creative idea was to make the uncomfortable more comfortable.

Most people discovered Vans in their formative school age years -- and those years were full moments of feeling awkward or uncomfortable in their own skin. This angst is universal, and Vans had the unique opportunity to relate with people on this level.

ComfyCush makes classic Vans shoes more comfortable. But could it make a place we all find uncomfortable more comfortable? Sure could.

The experience we created, ComfyCush High, was about taking the seemingly uncomfortable high school experience and make it comfy for the first time. It was an immersive brand experience that gave us the backdrop to educate our influential attendees about the science of ComfyCush and the heritage of the Vans brand.

With a limited budget and limited audience attention span, we wanted to create an experience that could get people trying and talking about ComfyCush.

Our primary audience was a new generation of mainstream youth (Gen Z) who didn’t grow up with Vans’ heritage. Their world is inundated in constant newness and they’re quick to call bullshit. The things Gen Z embrace are those anchored with real authenticity.

We couldn’t execute a traditional ad buy - too easy to ignore or swipe past. We decided to create an unforgettable, one-night exclusive experience for the influential tastemakers that Gen Z listens to and follows. If we could get these influencers and media partners talking about ComfyCush, our broader audience would learn about the innovation in a more organic and authentic way.

We also had to be mindful of our loyalist core audience, those who’d been wearing Vans for years. We needed to launch a new twist on an old classic, without feeling like the brand was selling-out. We gave something new the legitimacy of the OG.

In NYC, we invited hundreds of the influential tastemakers our Gen Z audience admires. “ComfyCush High” was an exclusive, one night event built out like a real high school -- but this time, with a big twist.

Classrooms were immersive experiences where attendees could touch/feel/wear the new shoes. Guests learned the Science of ComfyCush technology in an interactive science class. And for History class, the story of Vans was taught by none other than the godfather of Vans, Tony Alva, himself.

Junk food was served in the cafeteria. Detention was an insane dance party. The auditorium was a huge photo booth. And at the end of the night, there was a “special assembly” with an epic performance by Lil Wayne and a high school marching band.

All that time on their feet gave the ComfyCush High guests the most exciting and comfortable day at high school they’d ever experienced.

We walked the walk, creating a ComfyCush experience that would get influential people and publications in NYC and beyond talking and sharing on our behalf.

The experience catapulted ComfyCush in the press:

- 19k social media shares

- 294 pieces of coverage

- All of which collectively drove 1.2M Impressions reaching over 849M People

It became regarded as a beloved new tech that radically improved Vans shoes without walking away from what made them special in the first place:

- “VANS SHOWS US YOU DON’T HAVE TO WEAR SPORTY KICKS FOR A COMFORTABLE RIDE” - HypeBeast

- VANS TAKES US BACK TO HIGH SCHOOL TO LEARN ABOUT COMFORT, STYLE AND COMFYCUSH” - T Magazine

- “VANS TAPS THE ORIGINAL SKATE SHOE TO INTRODUCE THE LATEST INNOVATIVE STYLE” - FN

- “VANS HELPS US EXPERIENCE OUR AWKWARD YEARS IN COMFORT” - AdAge