Tim Wallis
Whilst not the title sponsor, New Balance are fiercely proud of their hometown marathon. The footwear and apparel designs each year are an embodiment of New Balance and the running culture it cultivates.
Brief
Open brief, with the only guidance being that one silhouette, Zante v3, will be used across both genders one silhousette and the dominant vamp color must be purple.
Design Direction
I wanted to celebrate the city, its culture and history of art, and also celebrate what the weekend means to so many athletes, their supporters and the brand. The artstyle reflects the layers of history and the overlapping cultures that have made the city what it is today.
Boston is uniquely placed in the history of the United States, and is (arguably) the most coveted of US marathons. The Stars and Stripes come from there. The artstyle reflects the layers of history and the overlapping cultures that have made the city, and although he’s from New York, the Warhol reference is a nod to NB's President owning an original. The color palette contrasts black and the purple with a spectrum of fully saturated, almost neon brights. They’re subtle on the footwear and apparel, but I designed buttons and slap bands and confetti to go with it which brought the party atmosphere and the colors to life.
I worked closely with the incredible marketing team on bringing the creative vision together. Seeing the city come to life over the marathon weekend (and Monday), the marketing assets and how people reacted to my work is probably the proudest moment of my career.
