New Balance Retains Ear To The Ground As Global Agency

New Balance Football has confirmed Ear to the Ground as global retained lead agency following a competitive pitch process. 

The strategic sports and esports creative agency has worked with the brand to develop its global football strategy and its creative roll-out for 2021 and beyond.

Centred around the agency’s Fan Intelligence model, Ear to the Ground says it has built a network of ‘highly influential tastemakers’ who will consult exclusively for New Balance Football. As part of the Fan Intelligence model, the network will collaborate to help build long-term brand strategies, as well as ‘more tactical campaign activity’.

Nicola Jones, Senior Marketing Manager for New Balance Football globally, said: “We chose to work with Ear to the Ground as we wanted a partner who could bring us closer to our target youth football and culture audience.

“Fan Intelligence is an innovative solution to the traditional agency model. We see this approach taking New Balance Football into a bold new space: one that only we could own because of our fearlessly independent attitude, and our willingness to shape the brand around our athletes.”

The agency’s first piece of creative work for New Balance Football saw the brand launch a new out of home campaign to promote Manchester City’s signing of USA international Rose Lavelle’s from Washington Spirit. The brand took over the city with the ‘Manchester’s Rose’ campaign.

The brand also works with Liverpool forward Sadio Mané, as well as top European clubs Porto, Athletic Bilbao and LOSC Lille.

Richard Adelsberg, Managing Director at Ear to the Ground, said: “New Balance is a dream client because they embody our independent attitude and have totally bought into the value of Fan Intelligence.

“It’s been an exciting moment to celebrate with Rose, New Balance and the team here at Ear to the Ground. If this year has shown us anything, it’s that fans and players have been really affected by the dramatic changes that have affected the game. By listening to our Fan Intelligence Network, the team created a campaign that connected the brand on a cultural level, whilst also helping Rose to feel right at home in a city she is yet to explore.”

The agency has grown its client base throughout 2020, and includes work with the likes of PlayStation, Beats by Dre, New Balance, UEFA and Arsenal.