MESH

TitleMESH
BrandSALOMON
Product/ServiceOUTFIT
Category A02. Durable Consumer Goods
Entrant KINSHIP Paris, FRANCE
Idea Creation KINSHIP Paris, FRANCE
Production LA PAC Paris, FRANCE
Credits
Name Company Position
Bruno Lee KINSHIP Deputy Managing Director
Stephane Soussan KINSHIP Creative Director
Thomas Lec'hvien KINSHIP Account Manager
Ludovic Gontrand KINSHIP Art Director
Simon Lamasa KINSHIP Copywriter
Thomas Laget KINSHIP Integrated Production Director
Marine Redon KINSHIP Agency Producer
Jerome Denis LA PAC President
Anna Roudaut LA PAC Producer
Laurent Perreau LA PAC Director of Production
Miles Cable & AJ Favicchio LA PAC Directors
Eric Pansier SALOMON CEO
benjamin Aidan SALOMON Marketing Director
Marion Blache SALOMON Global Marketing & Communication Manager
Dilraj Soomaroo SALOMON Campaign Specialist Endurance Sports

The Campaign

To prove S/LAB ME:sh can perfectly adapt to any human, we decided to take it to the extreme. Using the regular process Salomon uses with any other runner, we formed a ME:sh for AL 288-1 : Lucy the Australopithecus.

Execution

To form Lucy’s ME:sh, we gathered data on her in collaboration with renowned scientists : The shape of her foot, working on a 3D reconstruction with paleoartist John Gurche, best known for his work on Jurassic Park. The way she ran, based on years of research from paleoanthropologist Dr. Gilles Berillon and the CNRS, Europe’s largest science center. Where she ran and what she ran on, with the help of paleobiologist Dr. François Druelle from the University of Antwerp’s laboratory, etc. That spirit of co-creation also shines through the way we rethought the entire consumer experience, putting the costumer in the middle of the creation of his/her shoe : from the online configurator, to our redesign of the Fab Lab (ME:sh’s production unit) in which we welcome journalists, retailers and athletes.

The story of Lucy’s shoe got picked up by running and sports media on every continent (Runner’s World, Running.es, etc), and found its way through mainstream publications like GQ or TrendHunter, making it the most talked about launch in Salomon history. Through Lucy, we were able to open the doors of a world where running shoes fit the athletes and not the other way around, it shone a new light on Salomon and helped put it at the forefront of innovative sports brands. But more than an intriguing story, Lucy’s shoe became a symbol of ME:sh’s technology weaving man back with nature and with his true nature. A philosophy that’s dear to our target audience of outdoor lovers and running freaks, often prompt to injure themselves because of unadapted shoes. It prompted more than 300 athletes to create their own unique shoes in the first few days. (Reach and impressions number to come)

The Situation

The Australopithecus’ shoe is an intriguing story that allows for the popularization of a complex technology in a simple and entertaining way : it’s a shoe formed using the normal Salomon S/LAB ME:sh process, proving how far this technology can go. It makes you go “What do you mean, a shoe for Lucy the australopithecus?” and nudges you into learning about the ME:sh technology without it feeling like an ad. Thanks to its intriguing aspect, the curious product quickly got picked up by mainstream, and of course tech and sports media across the world, without any budget to promote it.

The Strategy

Lucy’s intriguing example allowed us to vulgarise ME:sh’s complex technology to our audience of runners and nature lovers, explaining it in a branded documentary. After 2 weeks of teasing, both Lucy’s ME:sh and the documentary were revealed to journalists, influencers and athletes, during one of the most important trail running event of the year. As our story gained some momentum, we invited Salomon retailers around the world to walk in Lucy’s steps and create a ME:sh that’s unique to their community, testing them during special ‘community runs’. Following Lucy’s example, any athlete could create his/her own ME:sh on our online configurator or in the Fab Lap (ME:sh’s transparent production unit), and join the ‘ME:sh Running Club’ that unites all ME:sh users.