Born Outside Italy
Launching a homegrown brand in the GCC market requires a unique and memorable strategy. When Born Outside Italy, a premium Italian-made sneaker brand, decided to make its exclusive debut in the region, we knew we had to be bold.
Introducing Sneaker Island. Not your average PR event. We began with a visionary design concept: a proposed residential development to add to Dubai’s coastline. An island shaped like a sneaker, a fusion of comfort and style, and complete with all luxury living amenities to lift you off your feet.
A playful yet strategic approach to build anticipation, we created an Instagram page, a website and a dedicated phone line to register interest (calling all real estate investors, sneakerheads and luxury living enthusiasts). Each interaction turned into an exclusive invite to the launch event, which did in fact take place on an actual island in Dubai – not sneaker-shaped, but every bit worth the hype.
The event was a resounding success attracting over 100 attendees, including more than 80 media and content creators. Prior to the event, we gifted over 40 sneakers to media and influencers who not only wore the sneakers to the island but generated over 270 unique content pieces throughout the campaign gaining over 12,500 engagements.
Content ranged from a mix of lifestyle shots to product reviews to unboxing and participation in The Clue is in the Purple Cube Series – a pre-launch campaign designed to organically build a follower community through mysterious content driven by creators.
Over the 2-month launch period, over 30 press articles were secured featuring founder interviews, product placement and brand storytelling in prestigious titles including The National, Esquire, Entrepreneur Middle East, Emirates Woman, Time Out, Savoir Flair and Hia.
