In 2015, FILA needed to step out to stand out, both figuratively and literally. With the retro footwear trend continuing to grow, the appeal for the heritage category of footwear has skyrocketed. Our goal was to increase the number of followers, while presenting FILA as a modern brand in a fresh twist for the consumer seeking retro-inspired styles.
The shift in social media messaging, particularly on Instagram, focused around showing these silhouettes in natural environments where young millennials and 90's enthusiasts could relate quickly and recognize the brand. An On-foot shot provided consumers with a quick guide on how to dress it up or dress it down. Street shots weren't just any street shots – we took the shoes on a road trip to relevant consumer cities such as Miami, New Orleans, Atlanta and Boston and posed them in front of immediately recognizable local icons. And Studio shots were photographed on furniture to be used as release announcements. This angle provided consumers with a clean, final look before they pressed purchase, much in the same way they would see a pair before they bought it in hand.
Naming also played a role: a new colorway called for a new campaign with imagery heavy titles such as "Turning Tide," "Volcanic," "Red Planet," and "Black Out." These in turn provided a Springboard to share Instagram videos that would drive home the new color/silhouette combination.
Combined, the FILA USA Instagram page more than doubled in 2015. On March 3, 2015, FILA had 39,466; at the time of this submission in February, 2016 FILA had over 86,000 followers. This growth is strictly the result of organic growth, a result of being featured on countless blogs and news sites – there was no paid advertising incurred to support this increase.
