Why Rosalía's New Balance Partnership Is Smart Business
The brand is increasingly opening itself up to external collaborators, both athletes and musicians, as it continues its quest to dominate sports culture.
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Yesterday, I opened my Instagram and saw I’d been tagged in a story by
, an incredibly talented art director, whose work I admire and recommend checking out. Alba spotted that global Spanish music sensation Rosalía had officially been announced as New Balance’s latest ambassador, and wanted my take on the matter. So here we are. Here’s my take.
1. There Were Signs
First off, this tie-up shouldn’t come as a surprise. As I’ve said before in this newsletter, when brands begin working with talent like this with a view to signing them as full on ambassadors, they build up to the announcement with small product placements, invites to brand dinners or events and other one-off moments.
After all, Rosalía had been dropping hints that she was working with New Balance for a little while now. As previously discussed on SportsVerse, she was spotted wearing actual New Balance football boots (soccer cleats) underneath her dress as she arrived in NYC on the day of the Met Gala in May. You don’t do something like that for the simple love of the game. Ever tried wearing football boots on concrete? Not fun.
2. I Like This Because…
New Balance brought Rosalía in for a specific purpose. Too often, brands sign up talent on big endorsement deals just for the sake of it. Then months go by without any action or a plan to utilise them to serve their actual purpose — marketing the brand’s products.
In this case, New Balance had a specific plan for Rosalía’s arrival. She fronted a campaign for the brand’s new 204L sneaker, a low-profile, thin-soled fashion shoe inspired by the brand’s popular 530 SL collaborations with Miu Miu, a silhouette that was first introduced in February. The 204L is an important sneaker launch for the brand, who has had several successes in diversifying its sneaker appeal away from the chunky running shoes favored by dads everywhere to the thin-soled low-rise footwear that is currently in vogue. The 204L is the latest iteration in this regard.
There’s no doubt that down the line, as with all of New Balance’s key collaborators, Rosalía will be called upon to create her own sneaker and apparel collections for the brand, to allow it to truly tap into her star appeal.
“My love for fashion and design has only grown over the years,” she said about the announcement.
For New Balance, a brand really driving the market forward when it comes to sports culture and fashion, this deal makes a lot of sense. These partnerships always have to feel authentic for a sportswear brand. Rosalía has long had a connection to sport, specifically football. She played as a kid, and famously collaborated with FC Barcelona to promote her Motomami album by taking over as the team’s front-of-jersey sponsor — orchestrated by Spotify — for the El Clásico home game in 2023.
Meanwhile, star power is exactly what Rosalía brings to New Balance. Her Instagram following of 26.8 million dwarfs the brand’s 8.4 million followers on its main account. While New Balance is a big deal these days in the sneaker and streetwear worlds, it’s still being discovered as a lifestyle player by consumers in many regions of the world. Rosalía will help spread brand awareness for New Balance and place its products in front of her sizeable and loyal global audience.
3. This Fits With New Balance’s Evolving Endorsement Strategy
New Balance is slowly opening its brand up to external collaborators. Previously on SportsVerse, I analysed the forward-thinking approach the brand takes with its athlete partners, such as Coco Gauff. I’ve also spoken at length about what the brand’s signing of Cooper Flagg means for its evolving athlete partnerships strategy.
One thing that has set New Balance apart in recent years has been its relationship with collaborators from the music world. Not simply having them around as one-off collaborators or generic ambassadors, but working with them as long term partners. The likes of Aminé, Jack Harlow, Action Bronson and Dave have all co-created their own products and sub-lines under the New Balance umbrella. Rosalía is set to join this influential roster giving New Balance that coveted cross cultural appeal at the intersection of sports, music and fashion.
It’s just smart business.
That’s all for today, friends. Thanks for being here.
See you next week,
DYM
Love it (as always) and thank you Dan! ❤️