Stay True
Birkenstock
Brand positioning
Birkenstock needed to reposition itself as a lifestyle brand to stay relevant in Germany and the U.S.
As lead agency, Stereo successfully rebranded Birkenstock globally and created an ad campaign to usher in an era of incredible cultural and financial success: ‘The Birkenboom’.
Emotions
In Germany, Birkenstock was seen as an indoor shoe. In the US, it had a small cult following in California and was associated with health and wellness. To ensure success, we’d have to create a positioning that could work in both markets.
SPRING – SUMMER
Fall – Winter
Create
We repositioned Birkenstock as a lifestyle brand with the tagline ‘Stay True’, in an ad campaign featuring high-quality lifestyle photography different to any they’d done before.
Social became a vital channel in supporting the campaign; we engaged key celebrities who wore Birkenstocks, and ran successful content collaborations with Coachella and New York Fashion week
Impact
Birkenstock’s global sales tripled as products were in demand in stores like never before ranging from leading department stores such as Nordstrom to hip stores such as Urban Outfitters. It was voted brand of the year by Footwear News in 2013. The brand continues to grow as the new positioning is rolled out.
