Wear ‘Em Out Store
The first sneaker shop to reward sneakerheads for actually wearing their sneakers.
Background
In a sneaker world plagued by bots and resellers, genuine sneakerheads are left empty-handed, unable to snag the kicks they crave. Enter eBay, the oldest and largest marketplace for new and pre-worn shoes. As new competitors rise — many only accepting pristine, unworn shoes – eBay refused to abandon its loyal sneaker community and instead wanted to champion sneaker culture and democratize access to coveted kicks.
What we did
eBay opened a first-of-its-kind Wear ‘Em Out Store, celebrating the sneakerhead community and highlighting eBay’s position in the marketplace. The store offered coveted sneakers at two price points: a “market price” and a lower “wear ‘em out” price. The catch? To get the better price you had to wear the sneakers out of the store. The store cemented eBay’s position as an active participant in sneaker culture, going far beyond being just a marketplace like competitors, but helped fuel a growing cultural shift to actually wearing your shoes.
2023 Cannes Lion - Bronze - PR
2023 Jay Chiat Awards - Silver - Experiential
2023 Clio - 1x Gold, 1x Silver, 1x Shortlist
2023 One Show - 1x Merit, 3x Shortlist
2023 ADC Awards - Merit
2023 Andy Awards - Shortlist
London International Awards - Gold (Ambient Activation - Creativity in Commerce), Gold (Ambient & Activation - Fashion & Accessories), Silver (Creativity in PR - Fashion & Accessories)
Social Output
"Two blocks are filled with people lined up waiting for eBay's Wear 'Em Out store to open. The hype is real."
Complex
36+
earned article placements in some of the top sneaker and culture publications across the country
The Reaction
1.5B+
earned impressions showing interest in eBay’s activation, which spoke directly to the realities of being a modern-day sneakerhead
280
pairs of covetable shoes sold at the Wear ‘Em Out storefront in the heart of LA’s Fairfax District
"Instead of encouraging sneakerheads to keep prized footwear "on ice," eBay incentivized shoppers to wear their purchases - right out the door."
Fast Company
“A majority of sneakerheads wear less than half of their collections… Hopefully, the Wear ‘Em Out Store can change that.”
Input
