Ugly For a Reason

“Ugly for a Reason” is Birkenstock’s first global brand campaign. In partnership with T Brand, the content studio of New York Times Advertising, our campaign brought foot health to the forefront of public consciousness and revealed the critical role Birkenstock plays in maintaining it, reaching over 140 million people worldwide.
While many of today’s most popular shoes chase the “ugly footwear” trend, Birkenstock has been creating shoes not to capitalize on fads, but to serve a higher purpose. The brand is designing footwear that is good for the entire body; Birkenstocks are "Ugly for a Reason." This message resonated in a new way with consumers, repositioning the brand as a quality shoe prioritizing health and wellness.

Through a digital and print ad campaign, which included a three-part video series, cover wraps of the print newspaper, audio spots, digital news takeovers and social media extensions, the campaign influenced future purchasing choices by educating audiences on the important role Birkenstock footwear plays in maintaining foot health. Our team ran ads with images of feet across every corner of The New York Times, making the issue unignorable. Grounded in Birkenstock’s ethos that footwear should be designed for functionality not fashion, the ad campaign demonstrated how its shoes are designed to complement human anatomy. With striking visuals across our platforms and compelling interviews with distinguished scientists, orthopedic experts and historians, the ad campaign and investigative video series explored the important role feet have played in human evolution, how we can better protect their health and the story of how Birkenstock disrupted an entire industry.
"Ugly for a Reason" is more than just a brand campaign; it’s a call to action for better foot health. In collaboration with New York Times Advertising, Birkenstock turned foot health into a global conversation with our proprietary audiences and beyond, by aligning to broader cultural discussion around health and footwear. This positioning elevates Birkenstock’s perception as a brand that prioritizes functionality over fashion, establishing itself as a recognized leader in the realm of foot health.
It’s not fashion. It’s foot health. It’s ugly for a reason.