Outlaw Runners
DISTANCE
Issue 61 | January 2022
Agency
BETC
Creative Team
Executive Creative Director Stephane Xiberras Creative Director Stephan Schwarz Art Director Julien Vergne Copywriter Alexandre Girod Assistant Art Director Mathis Payet
Production Team
Production Company Soldat Films Photographer Speed Camera MESTA 210C
Other Credits
Agency Managers Damien Clanet
Date
September 2021
Background
On August 31st 2021, a new law was enacted in France reducing the speed limit for vehicles in Paris to just 30kmh (18 mph), bringing the French capital to a standstill.
What was perceived as bad news for drivers was good news for environmentalists. And for those that want to push their own limits.
Idea
The boutique running store DISTANCE saw the new speed limit as a challenge.
If drivers were limited to just 30kph, could runners actually go faster than cars? On the day the law came into being, a group of runners ran through the streets of Paris with the sole intention of getting fined.
For one night the Outlaw Runners put the speed cameras to work.
Top athletes such as 800m champion Leena Kandissounon and 1500m champion Quentin Malriq took part. The actual speed camera photos were then used for an outdoor guerrilla campaign, in-store posters and on social media (https://www.
instagram.com/distanceathletics/).
In preparation for the Paris Half-Marathon on September 5th, DISTANCE set up a speed camera outside the store for runners to (try to) break the speed limit.
Results
105 press and media articles led to 117 million media impressions worth an earned media equivalent of five million euros. Store visits increased 36%.
Our Thoughts
The secret to newsjacking is to be newsworthy. To be in the moment. This would have been pointless a week after the new traffic law was passed but turning runners into speedsters on the day itself was to give news media manna from heaven. It was a different angle to the main story.
My guess is that this started as an agency initiative but the store does seem to do some cool things with its community. Such as the Paris to London run, which they accomplished in just 32 hours. I also liked the November promotion, selling mismatched clothing to ‘untalented runners’.