Together at Tempo
Case Study
Moving communities, one run at a time
In Fall 2025, HOKA partnered with Sofar Sounds to produce two immersive live experiences designed to build energy and brand awareness ahead of the NYC and Chicago Marathons.
Each event began with a community-led run from a HOKA retail location to an intimate Sofar venue—guided by the night’s performers—before culminating in live music performances that brought together local run clubs and music fans.
What started with 300+ in-person attendees extended far beyond the room, generating more than 13 million impressions through pre-show promotion and post-show content amplification.
The Ask
- Bring the brand into the heart of running culture through meaningful, in-person experiences
- Engage local communities in a way that felt organic, social, and celebratory
- Translate intimate live moments into scalable reach through media and content
The Program
Where running culture meets live music
Each Together at Tempo event blended movement, music, and community—designed to feel local, intentional, and unforgettable.
Chicago
Artists: Shawnee Dez, D. Lylez
Venue: Loft Lucia to West Loop (Peace Runners Club)
New York City
Artists: Cab Ellis, Brandon Hightower & The Message
Venue: 161 Central Park West to Upper West Side (Mile Style Run Club)
Brand Integrations
More than placement, it’s presence at every touchpoint
Brand integration highlights
- Pre-show runs starting at HOKA retail locations
- Artist-led routes through iconic neighborhoods
- On-site branding within intimate Sofar venues
- MC callouts and contextual brand storytelling
- Artists wearing HOKA gear during performances
- Full content capture across run + show
Content Capture & Amplification
- Full-fidelity content capture of all artist performances for downstream storytelling, paid amplification, and ongoing campaign use
Media & Content
A content engine built from the shows
The experience didn’t end when the lights went down. Together at Tempo became a content ecosystem—designed to live on across social, video, and owned channels.
Performance videos
High-quality live performance captures designed to preserve the intimacy of the Sofar format while extending visibility across owned, partner, and paid channels.
Artist interviews
Purposeful artist-led interviews that added narrative depth to the campaign—connecting creative expression, movement, and brand alignment through authentic storytelling.
Social recap videos
Platform-native, short-form edits engineered for attention and engagement, capturing the run, the audience, and the performance in highly shareable formats.
Event photography
Editorial photography documenting the full experiential arc—from pre-show runs to live performances—supporting both campaign amplification and long-term brand use.
Custom content hubs
A centralized content destination aggregating performance, interview, and recap assets—designed to extend discovery, dwell time, and post-event engagement.
Marketing
Extending reach beyond the run
Through a combination of paid media, organic social, and value-add placements, the campaign extended its impact far beyond the live audience—driving measurable brand lift and engagement.
Email & Social
Strategic promotion pre- and post-event distribution across Sofar channels to build momentum, drive attendance, and sustain campaign visibility.
Artist’s social
Artist-driven amplification that leveraged trusted voices and established audiences, reinforcing authenticity while expanding reach.
Competition pages
Custom competition experiences that captured interest, incentivized participation, and supported audience growth through opt-in engagement.
The Results
Measured impact, rooted in experience
The Impact
What began as a powerful blend of intimate, community-led experiences grew into scaled impact, driving strong engagement and brand lift among highly relevant audiences across two major cities.
