Linz am Rhein, March 27, 2023. With heartfelt tributes to the fans of the brand in the form of video portraits, educational articles about foot health, a visual journey through time exploring two-and-a-half centuries of family tradition and a look behind the scenes of our production, the new digital journal brings BIRKENSTOCK to life and takes the brand’s global fan community on a journey through the world of the inventor of the footbed.
The Journal articles highlight the three core values of the brand – function, quality and tradition – and take its on a fascinating tour through the BIRKENSTOCK universe. The video, image and text contributions produced in-house bring the DNA of the brand to life: exploring the function and design of BIRKENSTOCK products, inform readers and viewers about foot health and, finally, introduce people in whose everyday life BIRKENSTOCK plays an important role. At the same time, its audience learns about global brand events, seasonal topics and product highlights. The Journal and the stories it presents will continue to grow and evolve alongside the BIRKENSTOCK brand, updated regularly in the weeks, months and years to come.
POSITION
Functionality is the key element during the development of BIRKENSTOCK products. It ensures that the products serve a higher purpose – maintaining foot health – while establishing the framework for the brand’s distinctive aesthetic design signature. It is BIRKENSTOCK’s mission to enable people to walk as intended by nature. Thanks to the video clips “The Footbed”, “Naturgewolltes Gehen” and “Children’s Feet”, visitors to Birkenstock.com can deep dive into the brand’s DNA and learn more about its orthopedic roots. The contributions guarantee food for thought and are entertaining, rich in content and suitable for a broad audience, without being patronizing.
QUALITY
BIRKENSTOCK stands for uncompromising quality, durability and a unique product experience – the result of the highest quality raw materials processed under the best conditions in the brand’s own production facilities in Germany, drawing on two and a half centuries of family tradition.
The Journal takes readers on a journey starting at the origins of our cork all the way to the finished sandal and offers a peek behind the scenes of one of the BIRKENSTOCK factories in Germany. Readers will, for example, learn that no less than 50 production steps and a high level of dexterity and craftsmanship are required to manufacture a cork-latex sandal in a modern process.
TRADITION SINCE 1774
There’s a major anniversary on the horizon in 2024 when BIRKENSTOCK will celebrate 250 years of family tradition in shoemaking. The Journal therefore also explores one of BIRKENSTOCK’s elementary core values: tradition.
BIRKENSTOCK is the inventor of the footbed and a foot health pioneer. Its roots of the family and shoemaking tradition can be traced back to 1774. With the help of moving and inspiring conversations with long-serving employees of the company and friends of the brand, The Journal gives its readers an insight into key moments of the brand.
PEOPLE
BIRKENSTOCK dedicates this category to the people who make the brand what it is today: a “Love Brand”. The journal introduces inspiring personalities such as cyclist Lael Wilcox andmovers and shakers behind the scenes at BIRKENSTOCK like Dr. Kittlaus (head of the chemical laboratory) and Marcus Friedrich (production manager).
#BIRKENSTORIES
#Birkenstories are captivating portraits of people in BIRKENSTOCKS from around the world. An American Nobel Prize laureate, a papaya farmer from the jungles of Borneo or an eccentric German manufacturer of expedition vehicles: #Birkenstories spotlight remarkable characters who all do their own thing – both on the large and small scale. But they all have one thing in common: they are dyed-in-the-wool BIRKENSTOCK fans.
“BIRKENSTOCK WANTS YOU”
Participation is explicitly encouraged: fans who would like to share their personal BIRKENSTOCK story with our community can apply to be featured in a video portrait.
