ECCO GOLF

challenge

Brand ambassador and PGA Tour legend Fred Couples climbs the Masters leaderboard the first day and grabs national headlines not only for his great play, but for what’s on his feet. Millions of people seeing your client’s shoes sounds like a problem? It is when those watching want them but have no idea who makes them, or what they’re called!

insight

In 2010, ECCO Golf develops a mainstream fashion-inspired cleatless shoe called Golf Street. Fred Couples – media-bestowed “King of Cool – wears them to round-out his laid-back style. He competes in Golf Street early in the season, but it’s what happened at the 2010 Masters that shows how the right PR partner at the right time can help a brand reshape an entire consumer category.

activation

Buffalo.Agency springs into action, controlling the message, seizing the opportunity to promote the shoes to the magazine editors, newspaper writers and TV commentators who were gushing over “Freddy’s cool kicks.” The term “Fred Couples golf shoes” rose to number four among all Google searches and through our fast action, ECCO Golf Street was reported alongside Fred’s name as he continued his stellar play well into the weekend.

result

Our message coordination and promotion ignited a firestorm of media coverage. Aside from inclusions in influential gear guides and reviews, CNBC touted Golf Street as “part of sports marketing lore” and Golf Digest called it one of the top-10 stories in the entire golf industry. Buffalo’s direct-to-consumer actions helped usher a golf footwear revolution led by ECCO. Before 2010, non-cleated shoes were 0% of the market, now they’re more than 45% with ECCO as the category leader.