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In the First Global Campaign, Birkenstock Explains Why Their Shoes Are Ugly

If asked which fashion brands are synonymous with style and good taste, it is unlikely that the Birkenstock brand would come to anyone’s mind. Although luxury brands like Manolo Blahnik and Dior have shown interest in the company in recent years and designed collaborative collections, bringing the iconic sandals closer to their customers, the classic models are still not considered particularly beautiful. Comfortable, yes, but beautiful – no.

It is precisely on this realization that the brand, which has recently come under the ownership of the LVMH group, bases its first global marketing campaign in which they claim – yes, ‘birkenstocks’ are ugly, but ugly for a reason! The campaign, which was created in the T Brand workshop, the studio behind the content production of the New York Times, is divided into three parts, each celebrating the evolutionary miracle known as the human foot.

The Marvelous Foot

In the first part titled ‘How Feet Made Us Human’, esteemed scientists – a biomechanist and a paleontologist – guide viewers through the story of human body evolution, enriched with medical diagrams and educational animations. The other episodes, ‘Finding Your Feet’ and ‘Stepping Into Details’, will be launched on August 11 and September 21, respectively, and both revolve around the same story, which is that behind everything the company does lies ‘foot health’.

As stated by the CEO of the Birkenstock group, Oliver Reichart, the goal of the campaign is to inform customers about the marvelous foot; to explain how the development of the human species rests on the fact that we stand on our feet and that footwear is extremely important for overall human health.

– We would like to draw customers’ attention to inadequate footwear and help them make better decisions regardless of which brand they ultimately purchase – said Reichart during the presentation of the first global campaign of a brand whose value is currently estimated at five billion dollars.

Not bad for an ugly sandal, right?