"From Fashion Victim to Footbed Guru" – as of immediately, the premium comfort shoe manufacturer BIRKENSTOCK is presenting its new Fall/Winter ad campaign under this and five other catchy headings to ring in the theme of the cold season. Main protagonists of the campaign are sandal classics that come in finest leather and high-grade felt, in keeping with the cold season. Combined with thick socks, the shoes with the unique footbed ensure perfect wearing comfort at home, even when outside temperatures drop below freezing.

The ads will run in large-circulation consumer publications (Süddeutsche Zeitung Magazin, ZEIT, stern, Capital, Brigitte, among others) until the beginning of November. The series will be accompanied by lavishly designed lookbooks and a wide range of POS materials. The campaign was developed in-house, and media plan – based in Munich and Baden-Baden – is in charge of media planning.

The comfort shoe manufacturer proves with this print campaign that sandals are also fitting footwear for the wintertime. The ad visuals show the models of the current Fall/Winter campaign to be as individual and variable as their wearers. The top seller Arizona in trendy gold, for example, is a genuine eye-catcher. The model Boston can be spectacular in a pink varnish look or casual and comfortable in felt and premium leather in fashionable colors.

All models share the unique footbed as well as the first-rate quality of the materials and the workmanship. What is new is the fresh visual language which does justice to the claim of Germany's oldest and best known footwear trade name to be a global brand. The campaign is directed at the relevant advertising target group of 20- to 49-year-olds who appreciate BIRKENSTOCK not just as a strict summer brand but rely on it year round. The premium comfort shoe manufacturer is deliberately also addressing a younger and male target group.

Time-out for stressed-out feet

For a long time high-heels could not be high enough. This summer the international fashion world is celebrating the return of the sandal. BIRKENSTOCK's current campaign is picking up this trend, choosing the heading "From Fashion Victim to Footbed Guru" and saying tongue-in-cheek: "We take it as a compliment" when top fashion designers take their inspiration from the "mother of all sandals" and try to emulate the original deep cork footbed sandals from Germany. With its "Time-out for stressed-out feet" ad, BIRKENSTOCK is reminding consumers that the company with the long tradition that has invented the footbed is giving stressed-out feet a break from the strains of everyday life. With the heading "With both feet on the ground" BIRKENSTOCK is once again underlining its core values: quality, function, and minimalist design. After all, the shoe manufacturer is "beyond fashion" – and has been for more than 240 years.

This is already BIRKENSTOCK's second ad campaign in the current year. In the early summer the premium comfort shoe manufacturer promoted its kids' collection. The campaign, which was conceived and executed in-house, is in sixth place in the current IMAS ranking of the trade journal Werben & Verkaufen. The independent IMAS Institute tests the efficiency of ad campaigns every month.