The Virgin America First Class Shoe was specifically created to tap into our target’s love for sneaker culture. We put all the features of Virgin America First Class into the shoe – white leather, mood lighting, WiFi, a video display, a phone charger, and a seat belt buckle instead of shoelaces. We made only one pair and put them up for auction on eBay on National Sneaker Day, with all proceeds going to a charity that fights poverty by distributing shoes and clothing. We seeded the story with sneaker bloggers and the story spread to tech, fashion and mainstream media outlets around the world. Every time the shoes were written about, the features of Virgin America First Class were repeated and people were driven to the online auction. Bids soared to over $97,000.00 in just one week.

On National Sneaker Day (October 9, 2016), we launched the Virgin America First Class Shoe, a proprietary and first-of-its-kind sneaker, designed and built with the components and amenities of Virgin America's First Class cabin. With only one pair available for an eBay auction for charity, we developed a robust media strategy to unveil the shoes to top-tier business, consumer, design, creative, and broadcast outlets -- including Mashable, Esquire, Gizmodo, CNBC, International Business Times, and CNET. There was even an exclusive broadcast segment on Good Morning America. The press coverage put a spotlight on the innovative design and technology of the shoe, Virgin America First Class amenities, and -- most importantly -- the charity auction. In a week’s time, bids for the shoes had climbed to over $97,000.00, and Virgin America enjoyed 338,000,000 earned media impressions.

Tier 1: 338,000,000 earned media impressions. Each time the story about the shoe’s features was told, the amenities of Virgin First Class were told. The tone of the stories were all positive. There was a wit to the idea that came through. The auction for charity soared to $97,000.00 because of the bespoke, limited quantity; the shoe’s inherent collectability; and the fact that all proceeds would go to a worthy cause.

Tier 2: Since launching in 2007, Virgin America has built a loyal following of flyers and earned a host of awards. While the First Class Shoe was initially launched as a way to drive awareness around the amenities of the brand’s first class cabin for domestic. travelers, it quickly became clear that the shoe had global, universal appeal. From the viewers of Good Morning America, to the technophile readers of Gizmodo, and the international sneakerheads of HYPEBEAST, people around the world were drawn to the First Class Shoe’s quirky charm and creative use of technology.

Tier 3: We made only one pair of the shoes. They were auctioned on eBay for $97,000.00 USD. Virgin spent no money on media but received 335,000,000 earned media impressions. It’s booking website also saw a surge in traffic.