Saucony harnessed the power of the Boston Marathon—and the runners who flood the city to participate in it—by hosting "Step Into Minimalism," an educational and experiential event on Thursday. Producer Creative Community Connections L.L.C., known as C3, split the Cyclorama into a presentation area and a reception area, giving the 350 runners, coaches, retailers, and journalists who attended a chance to try on Saucony's three minimalist shoes, which are designed to mimic barefoot running, and to hear from experts about how to put the kicks to use.
"The overall goal was to create an opportunity for consumers and media to experience the Saucony brand while amplifying the brand's leadership position in minimalist running," said Sharon Barbano, Saucony's vice president of public relations. "Second, we wanted to fill the education gap, providing clarity for runners on responsibly transitioning from traditional running shoes to minimalist running shoes." To maximize its reach to local runners, Saucony partnered with Marathon Sports to market the event, and reached the store's customer base and local running clubs through word-of-mouth and social media.
A van with rows of Saucony's brightly colored sneakers sat outside the venue, adding a branded element to the entrance. Inside, sheer drapes illuminated with Saucony's logo separated the presentation space from the cocktail area. A minimalist art exhibit was positioned above pairs of Saucony sneakers along the perimeter of the round space.
After hearing presentations from coaches and doctors, guests filtered into the cocktail area, where they could run on treadmills in Saucony's Kinvara, Mirage, and Hattori designs, practice foot-strengthening exercises with a podiatrist, and sample passed hors d'oeuvres, including prosciutto-wrapped asparagus, from Off the Vine Catering. A bar anchored the space, and white couches, reflecting the minimalist theme, flanked the bar.
