The Challenge
Aurora Running had a devoted community in the Pacific Northwest and a product that serious runners loved. But outside their home market, they were unknown. The brief: launch their new Meridian Trail shoe to a national audience without losing the authentic, community-driven voice that made the brand special.
Our Approach
The insight came from a simple question we asked Aurora’s community: Why do you run? The answers weren’t about PRs or podiums. They were about mental health, processing grief, finding quiet in a loud world. Running, for Aurora’s people, is a ritual.
We built the campaign around the idea of “The Long Way Back”—not a comeback story, but the idea that sometimes the point of the run is the run itself.
Creative
The hero film follows five real runners—not athletes, not influencers—through landscapes that mirror their internal states. No voiceover. No product shots until the final frame. Music from an unsigned Portland composer.
Social
We built a 12-week content system: short-form documentary clips, community repost frameworks, and a UGC prompt series (#MyLongWay) that generated over 4,000 organic submissions.
Paid
Rather than spray-and-pray targeting, we built tight audience segments based on trail running communities, outdoor enthusiasts, and wellness audiences. CPMs stayed low because the creative actually resonated—the campaign’s video completion rate was 2.4× the category benchmark.
The Result
The Meridian Trail sold out in 11 days. Aurora’s national brand awareness (in their target segment) grew by 34 points over the campaign period. More importantly, they retained the community feel that made them special—their NPS actually increased during the campaign, which almost never happens at this scale.