HOKA turns Hackney Half into a live canvas celebrating the intersection of running and culture

An evolving mural, Lime bike takeover, recovery rides in branded black cabs and Citymapper activations embedded the brand into the fabric of Hackney

Performance footwear and apparel brand, HOKA, launched an experiential multichannel campaign in celebration of its support of the HOKA Hackney Half Marathon, marking its first year as title sponsor, which took place day before yesterday (Sunday 17th May). The campaign, created by leading digital marketing business, Jellyfish, included partnerships with Lime and Citymapper, OOH activations, guerrilla wildposting, and two specially-commissioned murals along the course of the race, embedding the brand into Hackney’s multicultural, community-driven way of life.

The two murals were installed at 100 Mare Street and 455 Hackney Road. The Mare Street installation was completed in three stages, with the artist using a cradle for stage one and abseiling to complete the second and third stages. Unveiled progressively in the lead-up to race day and completed live during the event itself, the mural featured the HOKA tagline, “Let’s Fly”, followed by the names of brand ambassadors, running clubs and athletes, which were added in rotation on race day, transforming it into a living tribute to Hackney’s running community, before landing on “Let’s Fly Hackney”.

The Hackney Road mural was designed to deepen local connection and resonate with both residents and runners in the area. Positioned along a key race route, it built anticipation in the lead-up to race day while celebrating the running community at its core. Wider outdoor activity included a high-impact 96-sheet OOH placement in the high-footfall area of Broadway Market.

The Lime partnership saw 250 Lime bikes branded with HOKA creatives between April 20 and May 17. From May 4th onwards, 50 of them were also decorated with “lucky” QR Code stickers that runners could scan to sign up for a draw to win a place in next year’s event. Together, the bikes turned everyday journeys into part of the campaign, extending HOKA’s presence across the city in the run-up to race day.

The Citymapper tie-up generated pre-race awareness, with display ads and location ads driving people to HOKA’s community hubs and Covent Garden store, plus banners on race day promoting the “Ride and Fly” HOKA cabs, offering free rides to finishers.

Guerrilla wildposting blocks were deployed across Hackney to create a high-frequency, street-level presence, engaging runners in the lead-up to and throughout the Hackney Half Marathon weekend. The campaign was rounded out with a paid social campaign across Meta and TikTok to raise awareness in the run-up to the event. 

The campaign reflects a broader move away from traditional sponsorship, using the city itself as a platform to create more participatory and culturally resonant brand experiences.

“This was a brilliant, wide-ranging, multichannel campaign that firmly embedded HOKA into the culture of the Hackney Half,” said Cynthia van der Moolen, EMEA Marketing Director at HOKA. “By aligning with familiar neighbourhood cues, runner rituals and the rhythm of race weekend, the campaign creates emotionally resonant touchpoints that feel native to the area rather than imposed upon it.”

“Our focus was on making the campaign feel part of the community during race weekend,” said Anna Moore, Client Partner at Jellyfish. “By combining creative street-level executions with partnerships that offered real utility to runners, we were able to connect with people in a way that felt both authentic and immediate.”

To find out more about Hackney Moves Festival, which took place from 14th-17th May, visithttps://www.hackneymoves.com/. 

Source: Jellyfish

  Activation, Anna Moore, Cynthia van der Moolen, Guerilla Marketing, HOKA, Jellyfish, Mural