Turning a run into a moment worth showing up for

One question: how do you make New Balance the brand they actually remember?

Planet Sports Run draws hundreds of runners and dozens of sponsors. Every brand wants their booth to be the one people gravitate toward — not just walk past on the way to the finish line.

New Balance came in with one goal: make their presence the most talked-about spot at the event. Not just visible, but genuinely worth stopping for.

We treated the activation like a part of the race, not an interruption to it:

• Earn the stop. From race pack collection to jumping test challenges, every touchpoint gave runners something to do — not just something to walk past.
• Design for the play. Games were built around competition and reward, driving genuine engagement rather than passive awareness.
• Reward the effort. 86 winners walked away with New Balance gear — from the 1080 V15 to RC Jackets, caps and socks — tying the brand directly to the experience of winning.

We didn't sponsor the run. We built a reason to remember it.

The result was a connected two-day on-ground experience built around play and participation:

• Race pack collection zone. A branded touchpoint that started the New Balance experience before the gun even fired.
• Jumping test challenge. An interactive game that gave runners a reason to compete, sweat a little more, and stick around.
• Prize mechanic. Winners walked away with real New Balance gear, turning a booth visit into something worth telling people about.