Clarks’ latest campaign centers on a straightforward premise: Are You Wearing The Right Shoes? According to the brand, the solution comes from its C360 Foam technology, which aims to correct a widespread mismatch between footwear and daily movement. Research discovered that 74% of people who walk for exercise wear running shoes—a design that does not align with walking biomechanics. This initiative reflects a strategic shift for Clarks, a company that has long emphasized comfort as its defining trait.
Darren Day, Clarks’ chief marketing officer, explains that the brand is not abandoning its heritage but instead showcasing the advanced engineering that sustains it. He says: “That gave us a really interesting consumer insight to build around. This season, we’re taking things further. When people think of Clarks, they think of comfort – we’ve been owning that space for more than 200 years and it’s part of our DNA.”
Social media plays a key role in the campaign’s execution.
Clarks employs lighthearted, interactive content to challenge the assumption that foot discomfort is unavoidable. The brand monitors social engagement, website visits, and in-store traffic to gauge effectiveness. Day highlights that social media is incredibly valuable because it gives immediate feedback on how consumers are responding to the campaign and the product. “We’re constantly analysing that feedback and using those insights to inform what we do next.
Our consumer comes first, always.”
The marketing team describes social platforms as a tool for rapid iteration. Day says: “Ultimately, we want people to think differently about the shoes they wear every day and understand how the right footwear can help them walk further for longer. It’s less about changing what people know us for and more about evolving it.
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Clarks has a very strong association with comfort, quality and incredible value. What we want consumers to increasingly understand is the innovation and technology behind that comfort and quality.”
Complementing the digital push are out-of-home advertisements placed in high-foot-traffic zones across the UK and US. These billboards and posters ask passersby the same question, “Are you wearing the right shoes?”, while they are literally walking, creating an instant connection between the ad’s message and the experience it promotes.
Day shares: “We’ve all had those days when you’ve been walking, commuting, shopping, at work or out for dinner and you reach the point where you just want to get home and take your shoes off. We want to challenge the idea that this is something people simply have to accept.
The right footwear can make a real difference to how you feel throughout the day, and C360 is about helping people walk further for longer without having to compromise on style.”
The campaign builds on Clarks’ earlier Back to School initiative, which also highlighted comfort, durability, and value. The current effort distinguishes itself by framing technology as the foundation of those benefits.
Day explains: “The product and the consumer might be different, but the principle is the same: creating quality shoes at affordable prices which are designed around how people actually live and move.”
Clarks measures success by looking at the whole customer journey rather than a single metric. Day explains that its metrics include looking at reach, impressions and engagement across social and digital and through traffic to the website, as well as footfall into its stores. It also looks at product consideration and sales.
