New Balance – Authentic Connections

The best campaigns are built on values and talk authentically. This campaign, for New Balance, was the best of both. Yakkazoo was commissioned to give New Balance the creative direction and brand ambassador that evoked its ‘Fearlessly Independent’ ethos. Yakkazoo realised that Tash Sultana was everything New Balance wanted.

When New Balance was looking for a brand ambassador for APAC who could provide more relevance for local markets, Yakkazoo collaborated with Aspire Talent Management, a member of the VMG family, to establish a partnership with Australian singer-songwriter, Tash Sultana. Tash not only evokes New Balance’s ethos but embodies it with barefaced authenticity and independence. It was to be Tash’s first brand partnership, so the right fit was important to the music artist as well as New Balance. The team’s negotiations reassured both. Yakkazoo then worked with New Balance to make sure that creative assets and media platforms for the launch were aligned to its audience. Our team recommended a range of tactics for two key campaigns that included out-of-home, digital and owned assets.

The process was very collaborative, with work from Yakkazoo, Aspire and Revolution360 from VMG and partnerships with Lemon Tree Music; photographer, Giulia Giannini McGauran; and videographer, Ben McFadyen. “I have never done anything with a brand before, so I wanted to wait until something felt right. I’m happy to align with New Balance because they’re a brand that is taking a step into the future and support gender inclusivity and all people,” Tash Sultana stated.