Strava / NYC Marathon 25
Brand / Strava Time / November 25 Role / Creative Direction
In a city saturated with brand noise during marathon weekend, Strava needed to cut through the chaos and show up in a way that felt authentic. The challenge: stand out in one of the loudest sporting landscapes in the world.
A marathon isn’t won on race day. It’s built in the quiet miles, the early mornings and the solo runs no one sees. The journey matters just as much as the finish line.
Insight
We shifted the spotlight from the medal moment to the everyday miles that make it possible, one run at a time.
The idea
Creative Direction
Authenticity led everything. We championed real runners training for real goals — no polish, no performance, just progress.
The campaign unfolded in two stages:
Pre-Marathon: We targeted everyday runners, spotlighting the grit of training in New York City, the traffic, the weather, the pace of the streets, reinforcing that progress is built one run at a time. We used organic social, paid social and OOHs to tell our story ahead of the weekend.
Marathon Weekend: We moved into high-frequency, real-time storytelling. Through the lens of organic social, we captured the city as it unfolded, runners, supporters, emotion and energy, creating expansive coverage designed to feel immediate, immersive and community-led.
Results
In just three days, our in-house team of five produced and distributed over 40 pieces of content, shot, edited and published in real time.
The campaign delivered 19.9M total impressions, drove a 15% increase in US aided awareness, and resonated most strongly with Gen Z women — our core target audience.