Calia by Dick’s Sporting Goods partnered with Project Runway Season 21 to spotlight the versatility of its athleisure brand. In a sponsored design challenge, contestants were tasked with creating a look, with the winning design produced and sold at Dick’s. Additionally, Calia wanted a branded Wellness Space in which the contestants could go to reset.
Calia by Dick’s Sporting Goods was featured within Freeform's Project Runway Season 21 through a sponsored design challenge and two placements of a Calia-branded Wellness Space. While wearing Calia fitness apparel, contestants were challenged to create looks inspired by the athleisure brand, with the winning design produced and sold at Dick’s. Running directly following the announcement of the winning look, a custom billboard drove viewers to the website where they could buy, with the designs completely sold out by the morning following that episode’s premiere. The Wellness Space further highlighted Calia fitness products through two guaranteed placements across separate episodes. This partnership was further amplified via a sponsored recap post across Project Runway’s Facebook and Instagram handles, spotlighting the winning design, a Streaming Base Package, and via a Calia Collection on Project Runway's virtual storefront.
As mentioned above, Calia’s partnership also had a streaming component, and they received a :10 co-branded slate that ran within pre-roll positioning with commercial adjacency on streaming. Additionally, Calia signed on as the first brand to participate in Disney’s new commerce-driven ad solution, Shop the Stream, a Project Runway virtual storefront where a Calia sponsored collection offered fans the opportunity to shop the looks seen on the show.
Project Runway, in partnership with Dick’s Sporting Goods’ Calia brand, transformed a traditional sponsorship into a breakthrough, multi-platform activation. By turning a fashion challenge into a shoppable reality, with the winning design selling out in under 24 hours, this partnership proved the power of integrating storytelling with direct consumer action. The branded Wellness Space extended the narrative beyond the runway, authentically embedding fitness and lifestyle into the contestants’ daily lives. And as the first brand to activate Disney’s new Shop the Stream solution, Calia set a benchmark for shoppable TV, demonstrating how a campaign can span content, commerce, and culture. This pioneering partnership not only elevated Calia’s brand identity but also redefined what’s possible for advertiser integrations in premium scripted competition formats.
