Fila is leaning into its heritage for a brand new fall assortment and promoting marketing campaign.
The venerable Italian model will launch a more-premium assortment, Casa Fila, accompanied by a Bellissimo marketing campaign that’s centered on the model’s longtime experience of bridging efficiency expertise with fashionable type.
“Fila has an extremely wealthy 113-year historical past in sport, and a key think about that has been the model’s uncompromising give attention to creating merchandise and experiences for shoppers that optimize efficiency and magnificence,” mentioned Todd Klein, world model president of Fila. “We at the moment are getting again to our DNA by sharpening our give attention to what has made Fila so iconic by means of the years — timeless design, devotion to craft, and most significantly, merchandise that make you play higher. With the rising recognition of tennis, pickleball and golf, in addition to the rising enchantment of operating to new audiences, now’s the perfect time for Fila to refresh its model and product choices.”
Klein, who has been with Fila for 18 months, mentioned the corporate has been going by means of a transition to raised reply to shopper calls for. It employed consultants to survey American shoppers in regards to the model and overwhelmingly, he mentioned, they have been unaware that Fila was an Italian model — a rustic of origin they related to top quality, up to date styling and a focus to element.
So the choice was made to give attention to these attributes in Fila’s ongoing messaging.
For the autumn marketing campaign, the corporate has reimagined the standard nation membership scene because the “Bellissimo Nation Membership” — a spot the place everyone seems to be included.
“A transparent celebration of our Italian heritage, ‘Bellissimo’ is Fila’s toast to dwelling life to the fullest, in sport and in play,” mentioned Emily Maxey, senior vice chairman of promoting for Fila. “Fila is at its greatest after we embrace the intersection of excessive efficiency and excessive type, and we wished to spotlight that in all features of this marketing campaign. From the setting to the product to the interaction of sport and life, ‘Bellissimo’ is an invite to expertise the fullest and most aspirational expression of Fila.”
Casa Fila is a more-premium assortment.
Courtesy of Fila
The marketing campaign is concentrated on the model’s new Casa Fila assortment, an elevated assortment that reworked Fila classics such because the BB1 Polo, now provided in efficiency supplies, and the FX-2 tennis sneaker. “These merchandise have been an actual inspiration to the group for Casa Fila,” Klein mentioned.
The gathering, for women and men, consists of attire and footwear ranging in value from $64 to $140. It is going to even be entrance and heart on the U.S. Open subsequent month when Emma Navarro, a top-ranked U.S. professional, and different athletes, will put on the gathering on the event. It is going to even be featured in a pop-up that may open in August and stay by means of October in SoHo, Klein mentioned. The Casa Fila assortment — in addition to a Hailey Bieber assortment that may launch in August — may also be bought at Fila’s store on the U.S. Open. Bieber has been an envoy for the corporate since September 2023.
Tennis is core to the Fila model.
Courtesy of Fila
Klein mentioned this give attention to its Italian heritage can also be being emphasised with the corporate’s wholesale companions. They embrace Nordstrom, Tennis-Warehouse, Academy Sports activities, Further Butter and Want, a number of of that are new accounts. “We’re making inroads and we really feel we’ve got constructive momentum for the again half of the yr,” he mentioned. “There’s a variety of optimism inside our group regardless of the difficult occasions we’re skilled since COVID[-19].”
Fila has been owned by a South Korean firm, Fila Korea, since 2007, and it has been public on the nation’s inventory trade since 2010. The company, now referred to as Fila Holdings Corp., additionally owns Acushnet Holdings Corp., which incorporates golf manufacturers comparable to Titleist and FootJoy.
Fila Holding’s web revenue fell 67.3 p.c final yr to 153 billion South Korean received, or roughly $110 million. Gross sales declined 5.1 p.c final yr to 4 trillion received, or about $2.9 billion. The Fila model fared worse, with gross sales dropping 30.4 p.c to 897 billion received, or $648 million.
