HELLO 4

DIGITAL SPORTS PLATFORM

BRAND STORY + CREATIVE PRESENTATION

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THE JOURNEY
WE’RE ON
TOGETHER
 Share out of positioning
first thoughts

Aligned on direction —
Competion

Shared first round of names

Today  Full story and creative

presentation

12 / 22 Lock final deliverables

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THE
ASSIGNMENT

Create a differentiated and compelling

position for New Balance’s Digital Sports
Platform and tell a big, breakthrough,
story at CES.
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New Balance is in the business of
athlete improvement.

To figure out how to improve

athletes via technology, we took a
look at the current cultural dynamics
surrounding athletes.

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 "ATHLETE"
Many years ago, saying you were “An
Athlete” used to mean something. It
was pretty rarefied air from a cultural
standpoint, because it meant that you
entered athletic contests of some sort.

That you had the courage to pit

yourself against other athletes, in a
forum in which there would be
winners and losers.

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This was the true essence of Athlete, which is
derived from the Greek word 'Athlein' - literally
meaning 'to compete for a prize.'

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And for a long time that badge value of
being an athlete remained in place.
I’m an athlete meant…
I COMPETE.
I HAVE COURAGE.
I BEAT PEOPLE.
I WIN THE PRIZE.
I SOMETIMES LOSE.

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 But as the proliferation of sports
happened, iconic sports brands
emerged and they realized
something. People that actually
race or compete is a pretty narrow
demographic.

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So they sought to broaden their
appeal to connect with everybody
and encourage participation from
all. Sport became a lifestyle.

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And culture was quick to mirror
this belief.

Medals are given out for

“participation”. Winning has been
replaced with “trying”. And anyone
with a pulse is now an “athlete”.

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The truth is, the inclusiveness of
being an athlete has made being an
athlete meaningless.

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As a result, true
athletes have lost
their identity.

And aspiring
athletes have little
to shoot for in the
way of cultural
currency.

Because
everybody is
“winning”

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Now that all sounds pretty damn
bleak for a brand hell-bent on
“Athlete Improvement”, on the
brink of launching a progressive
new digital platform.

But within this cultural problem

resides our ultimate opportunity.

To restore the identity of athletes.

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 The time is now to redefine
“Athlete” and to defend the
idea of competition in its most
audacious form.

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The good news is we can do
this in a way that is inclusive of
almost everyone.

Because competition is
ubiquitous – 5ks, tech enabled
virtual racing, leader boards,
podiums.

The desire to compete, and

win, is an engrained part of
human DNA that isn’t going
anywhere anytime soon.

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What's more, the general public wants the spirit of
winning to be restored.
SHOULD KIDS GET PARTICIPATION TROPHIES? All kids get trophies Only winners get trophies

60

40

20

<$30K $30k-$45k $45k-$60k $60k-$75k $75k-$90k $90k-$110k $110k+

*Source: Telegraph
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The fact is nothing improves an
athlete like competition.

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When you enter a
competition it gives you the
most powerful and visceral
of reasons to train.
Because the thought of
entering a competition
unprepared is like starting
with a self-imposed
disadvantage.

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Competition forces you
to push harder, because
no amount of “self-
motivation” can drum
up the adrenaline that's
released when you see
your opponent seconds
ahead of you.

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Competition is the ultimate training
program, and it’s enabled through
the New Balance digital sports
platform.

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 1
It trains you for competition with head-to-toe
diagnostics and training programs, built on
best-in-class technologies (Google, Intel, Zepp
and Strava)

2 Enables competition by harnessing the power

of athlete communities.

3 Provides competitive advantages through

ultra-customized products, like 3D printed insoles.

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 Plus, it does one even bigger thing.

It restores the meaning of athlete.

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 And provides athletes with
what’s missing in their life.

A digital sports platform that is

an aspirational badge of their
existence.

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Let’s give Athletes the choice they’re
looking for.

says you’re participating.

says you’ve got support.

says you’re serious about training.

says you’re an early adopter.

says you’re a true competitor.

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New Balance is the brand that can make casual
participants feel like real athletes, and give real
athletes everywhere their identity back.

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THE BOOK

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vs
how a little healthy competition
is a great thing for all mankind.
 take a
number
All of a sudden, everyone’s an athlete. It doesn’t
matter if they’ve ever actually competed in anything.
Occasionally, they move their arms and legs in a vigorous
fashion. And over the years they’ve been coddled with
empowering messages, like “If you have a body, you’re
an athlete.” The truth is, if you have a body, you’re a
person with a body. It’s only when you enter that body in
competition, and endeavor to beat other people who
also have bodies, that you become an athlete.

The Greek word Athlein

means "someone who enters
a contest.” Not,“someone who,
like, exists.”
Darwin never handed out
participation awards.
Competition is how we got here. It’s in our DNA. Really it’s the entire reason the world is
run by humans, instead of goldfish or teddy bear hamsters. But lately, something crazy
has happened. The basic principal of competition, people beating other people to
move all people forward, has become socially unacceptable. Look, we’re not saying
HEART RATE
it’s only winners that count. We’re just saying it’s OK to want to finish ahead of someone MONITOR
else, if for no other reason, to outrun whatever’s behind you both.
 PREDICTIVE
TRAINING TOOLS

let’s not
lose losing.
No one loses anymore. We win. Or we “participate,” which we’re told is the same
thing, even though we can clearly see other competitors crossing the line in front
of us. The people perpetuating this myth are trying to help, but the truth is they’re
setting us backwards. Robbing us of the incentive to do better next time, and train
our asses off in the interim. Losing is powerful. And the fact that it feels a little bad is
what makes it so good.
with your help
we can get
these things off
the streets.
Send us a participation medal and we’ll send you a
New Balance Vs. It doesn’t symbolize victory, but it just
might help you earn one.
 Or the Space Trot. Or The Spirited Lap Around Earth’s Outer
Atmosphere. It was called the Space Race. A race. To space.
Us and the Russians, freaking each other out with ever-better
performances, together, driving mankind where no man or woman
had ever gone before. Technically they got there first, but it lit a fire
under America to never stop innovating. It’s why, at New Balance,
we’re always in Beta. Witness the New Balance Vs, the most
advanced training and racing watch on the planet. No
matter where you’re racing to, a little something to speed you

it wasn’t called
on your way.

the Space Jaunt. BUILT-IN

ACCELEROMETER
think of it as
tech doping
Here’s the thing about unfair advantages. They’re totally
awesome. As long as they meet the rules of competition.
Now, you’d assume a wickedly effective piece of wearable
tech — a watch say, that provides the user with killer data,
real-time feedback, and A.I. algorithms to predictively optimize
performance — would fall well outside the rules. But you’d be
wrong. As things stand, it’s all wonderfully, inexplicably legal.
And miles away from fair.
UNTETHERED FROM PHONE

MUSIC INTEGRATION

BUILT-IN GPS

CONTEXTUAL & PERSONAL

HEART RATE MONITOR

it’s on.
ANDROID / IOS APPS

PERFORMANCE CONSTRUCTION

VERSATILE STYLE

MUSIC INTEGRATION

PHONE NOTIFICATIONS

GYROSCOPE

ACCELEROMETER
can a phone
help you run?
You don’t have to be a sports kinesiologist to see that running around
with a telephone makes about as much sense as running with a
hairdryer, or a small, potted succulent. Still, this hasn’t stopped most
running platforms from tethering their users to phones. But those
platforms weren’t designed with competitive runners in mind. The New
Balance Vs is sleek, self-contained, and entirely independent of your
phone. If you want to access GPS data, or kick hard to a favorite song,
you’ve got it. If you want to make dinner reservations mid-run, well, this
might not be the right platform for you.
trying to crush
someone.
a surefire
way to make a
friend.
It’s weird how life works. Saying
hello to a stranger often creates
suspicion. But spending an entire
afternoon doing everything in your
power to destroy them usually
means you cross the finish line
as friends. Maybe it’s because
we know, deep down, humans
are wired for competition, so we
inherently trust anyone trying to
beat us, and vice versa. There are
VIRTUAL HEAD-TO-HEAD
no hidden agendas. Just miles of COMPETITIONS

clearly visible racecourse. One long

opportunity to introduce yourself.
 if you’re
reading this,
you already
won something.
being open to new Other companies want you to think they’ve cornered the market on innovation.
But who are they? And how many of them are there? The answer is, not enough.
Because no matter how many people they have, the more closed the system, the

ideas is a great way

less access to new ideas. At New Balance, we’re proud of our firsts, from the first
running shoe in widths, in 1972, to the world’s first 3D printed sole, which happened
like yesterday. But instead of thinking we know it all, we’ve created an open-

to stay out front.

sourced platform, and partnered with the smartest companies on earth. Google,
Intel, Strava, Zepp. Hundreds of buildings. Thousands of people. Millions of ideas.
All right there on your wrist.
on your mark, 11/27/15
7.1m | 58:02
Uptown Pass

get set, 12/05/15

7.1m | 56:31
Uptown Pass

whenever.
Packet pick-up. Safety pins. A shuttle to the start line. Nothing improves athletes 11/27/15
like racing, but you gotta jump through all kinds of hoops before the gun even 7.1m | 57:12
Uptown Pass
goes off. It’s nothing you have time for on a random Wednesday. Unless you
could just skip to the race part. The New Balance Vs makes racing on-demand,
since it’s seamlessly integrated with Strava and baked into a fully populated
database of racers at all levels. Competitors. Because no matter how fast
or slow they were going, they had the courage to lay down a time and
unflinchingly make it public. Which is cool, because someone like you can try
and beat it, whenever you feel so inclined.
INTEGRATION
Everyone Our future isn’t gonna go any better if we all hold hands and walk forward as
one. It’s gonna go better if we try to beat the pants off each other. Because

wins when not

there’s no limit to where we end up when we’re competing to get there. The
finish line of a local marathon. The start of a solution to global warming. The
surface of Mars. And make no mistake. Competing doesn’t mean hating each
other, or trying to set each other backwards. It means realizing we’re headed the

everyone wins.
same direction. And seeing who gets there first will help all of us get there faster.

beat
somebody. Packet pick-up. Safety pins. A shuttle to the start line. Nothing improves athletes like racing,
but you gotta jump through all kinds of hoops before the gun even goes off. Nothing you
have time for on a random Wednesday. Unless you could just skip to the race part. The New
Balance Vs makes racing on-demand, since it’s seamlessly integrated with Strava, baked into
a fully populated database of racers at all levels.
 new balance
CES scramble

0001
Maybe you’re the kind of person who enjoys competition. The kind of person who
cares more about racing than they do the very norms that govern society. If so,
then we have a challenge for you. Download our app and join the New Balance
CES Scramble. A 600-yard lap around Hall E that starts whenever you feel like it. No
need to pin on the number, but it might signal other show goers to get out of your
CES Conference
Center Hall E

START
FINISH

way. The top 50 finishers will receive beta versions of the New Balance Vs. Look,
there aren’t many of these things floating around out there yet, and we don’t want
them falling into the wrong hands.
NAMES

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 VS
The purest expression of competition.

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 NDrive
Tech-oriented, but also the drive to succeed/win.

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 Beta
The technology is always advancing. The user is always advancing.

• BETA RACE
• N-BETA
• BETAFORCE
• BETA FLOW
• BETA LAUNCH

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ACTIVATION
IDEAS

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CES SCRAMBLE
To create buzz and excitement
around the watch, we’ll invite CES
attendees to compete for a spot
as a New Balance beta tester. This
subversive race will loop around the
halls of CES, forcing runners to weave
in and out of crowds and forcing
crowds to take notice. At the end of
the three-day tech conference, the 50
people with the fastest times on our
leaderboard will earn their place as
a coveted beta tester.

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PARTICIPATION
AWARD AMNESTY
Since participation awards are the Achilles
heel of competition, we want to get them
off the streets. To do this, we’ll announce
an amnesty program at CES alongside
an art installation compiled of discarded
participation awards. Then, following CES,
people can send in their participation awards
in exchange for our new watch.

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 FIRST EVER
VIRTUAL
BOSTON
QUALIFIER
Boston is the granddaddy of
marathons. People train day and
night to secure their place in this
race. But now, for the first time in
history, we want to give people
the chance to qualify, only this
time digitally. During CES, anyone,
anywhere is invited to run 26.2 miles
using Strava. If they run under a
6-minute mile pace, we’ll happily pay
their entree fee into Boston.

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LOGO
EXPLORATION

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TWO LAST
THINGS

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 PH I L A N T HR OPIST

There are people out there determined to make the world a better place. Like this guy.
He made his kids give back their participation awards because he didn’t want them to feel entitled
to something just because they tried their best. “Sometimes your best is not enough, and that should
drive you to want to do better.” His words, not ours. But we couldn’t have said it better if we tried.
 THE FAST
BAND
For those who want to fault how fast they are,
we’ll create a limited edition colorway watch
band. In order to unlock this exclusive product,
athletes must first run a 5K, 10K, half-marathon,
or full marathon using the Strava app. If their
race time is in the top 10% they will gain
access the colorway.

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DIGITAL SPORTS
POSITIONING
BRAND PURPOSE: Alwaysin Beta. We ensure the perpetual improvement of athletes.

New Balance will restore the idea of being an athlete to what it once was, those with the courage
Competition is the
EMOTIONAL TRUTH: ultimate training program.
to measure themselves against others. A person who beats other people (or at least tries). We will
celebrate competition as the most powerful and visceral reason to train, and recognize the emotional
and physical benefits of competing as being higher than anything else, whether you win or not.

New Balance will invent technology that empowers humans better than any human can. It will do this
To enable the pursuit of
PRODUCT TRUTH: competition. in four ways:

1. By standing on the shoulders of best-in-class partners (Google, Intel, Zepp and Strava)
2. Creating an ecosystem of connected devices that provide complex diagnostics from head-to-toe
3. Harness the power of athlete communities to motivate individuals through races and leaderboards
4. Provide ultra-customized products to enable athletes to gain competitive advantages

Athletes have lost

CULTURAL OPPORUNITY: their identity.
The rise of digital sports has normalizedt the pursuit of athletic excellence.
As such, real athletes have lost their identity.

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CES/PR
SOUND BITES
• Athletes have lost their identity

• Everybody is a “winner” through the inclusiveness of participation

• We’re going to restore the identities of athletes

• Our technology is designed to enable competition

• Competition is the ultimate training program

• New Balance [Blank] trains you for competition with head-to-toe diagnostics

• New Balance [Blank] enables competition through harnessing athlete communities

• New Balance [Blank] provides competitive advantages through ultra customized products, like 3D insoles

• It’s time to turn casual participants into athletes, and to give real athletes everywhere their identity back

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NEXT
STEPS
Tomorrow  Feedback on Names

Tomorrow Approve Activation

Idea

Tomorrow  Feedback on Logo

Design Exploration

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THANK
YOU