FRAMINGHAM, Mass., June 03, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Topo Athletic, creators of high performance natural running footwear, recently announced the appointment of Michael O’Brien as its new marketing director. O’Brien brings experience in strategic brand management and digital marketing which he will leverage in partnership with NAIL Communications, Topo Athletic’s new advertising agency of record.
Before joining Topo Athletic, O’Brien was senior manager of digital marketing for Vibram Group, North America. He started his career as a footwear manager at Boston-born City Sports, later moving into brand management at Planet Fitness before joining Vibram.
“I have a passion for running, the outdoors, and innovative gear that helps you achieve a more natural and authentic running experience,” said O’Brien. “Joining a fast growing company like Topo Athletic is an exciting opportunity to merge these passions and drive important change in the footwear industry.”
Synchronous to O’Brien joining Topo, NAIL Communications, an award-winning creative agency, helped Topo Athletic launch a new digital advertising campaign that celebrates those transcendent moments of awe we all experience in nature. The new campaign, “In Pursuit of Awe,” launched with a 45 second video running on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Reddit.
“Our ‘In Pursuit of Awe’ campaign connects with runners, trail runners, and hikers on an emotional level. It serves as inspiration to get outside and appreciate those moments of awe we’ve all experienced in the outdoors,” said O’Brien. “The key tagline – ‘shoes inspired by nature, so you can be inspired by nature’— fits our brand perfectly as Topo seeks to be the recognized leader in natural running.”
Brian Gross, creative partner at NAIL Communications, notes, "Other running companies talk about ‘how’ and ‘what,’ but we didn’t really see anybody talking about ‘why' we run. In Topo, we saw an answer to that question in the ‘Pursuit of Awe.’”
“Tony is a visionary,” continues Gross. “We have worked with him since he was at Vibram leading the barefoot running revolution. We followed him over to Topo and helped develop the initial brand design. It was his commitment to connecting people to the outdoors that sparked the idea of ‘Pursuit of Awe.’”
“The ‘Pursuit of Awe' has a powerful pull for those who seek something special from their outdoor experiences,” added Niki Brazier, senior account manager at NAIL Communications, “so we tailored the messaging and the target audience of this campaign to reflect people who get outdoors for a purpose. That purpose spans all walks of life and resonates with people of varying ages and abilities. It’s something that speaks to everyone who knows there is something bigger than them behind their athletic adventures.”
NAIL’s ‘Pursuit of Awe’ campaign for Topo Athletic launched on May 24.
ABOUT TOPO ATHLETIC
Topo Athletic creates footwear that honors the shape and biomechanics of the human foot. Rising above the industry’s gimmicks and trends, Topo Athletic’s products encourage instinctive and natural movement to help deliver a better running and fitness experience. Headquartered in Framingham, Mass., Topo was founded in 2012 by Tony Post – an industry veteran with over 30 years of shoemaking and competitive running experience. For more information, please visit www.topoathletic.com and follow on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @topoathletic.
About NAIL Communications
We are an advertising agency that kind of hates advertising. We like to make smart, funny, beautiful, fascinating, emotional things. Because we see every video, every logo, every web page, every Facebook post, every billboard, every everything as an opportunity to make someone feel nice things about your brand. And there’s a word for people who think nice things about your brand: customers. NAIL Communications is based in Providence, RI. More at www.nail.cc.