After a very successful 1990's, Reebok was starting to lose share of market and share of the street. It had identified the 'youth market' as a low-hanging growth segment, but one it was most losing relevance with. Reebok turned to us in 2002, to explore a deeper connection with this demographic.
Challenge Reebok challenged us to create a sub-brand that would attract and connect with a new, younger audience.
What we did We used Reebok's financial ticker 'RBK' to build a new sub-brand called Rbk. We designed the visual and verbal identity systems, marketing collateral, retail experiences and worked with Steve Stoute to broker celebrity partnerships with with hip-hop artists like Jay-Z and 50 Cent.
Outcome Initially Rbk was positioned as a lifestyle brand with performance heritage, but with the release of the S.Carter collection, the Rbk brand attracted attention from the major American sports leagues. This led to licensing agreements with the National Basketball Association, the National Football League and the National Hockey League turning Rbk into a full blown performance brand at the highest level.
Jay-Z became the first non-athlete to get a signature shoe from Reebok. The "S. Carter Collection by Rbk" was launched on November 21, 2003, and the S. Carter sneaker became the fastest-selling shoe in the company's history. Reebok made a deal with rapper 50 Cent to release a line of G-Unit sneakers. Reebok also signed Scarlett Johansson and introduced her own line of clothing and footwear called Scarlett Hearts, part of the Rbk Lifestyle Collection.
