Foot Locker and Gen Z Changemakers Pave the Way for Embracing Individuality

Foot Locker in Europe today launches its latest campaign, featuring leading changemakers who are championing individuality and a more progressive future for their communities and beyond.

The campaign is a second instalment in the brand’s new platform, ‘Shoes Don’t Change the World. You Do’, which celebrates today’s youth who are striving to make the world a better place. The platform acknowledges a need for change whilst demonstrating loyalty to its audience, with the latest campaign a celebration of influential talent who are using their voices to effect change.  The new campaign is a continuation of Foot Locker’s commitment to working alongside and supporting the youth community who are leading the charge to reshape the future for the better.

To help bring the story to life, Foot Locker has partnered with UK-based talent Abisha and Jordan Charles, in addition to seven-year-old Elijah Enwerem, to create films that aim to help Gen Z find confidence in themselves to overcome challenges. Each film celebrates their unique stories, with the common storyline being the need to be seen and be yourself. The campaign strapline, ‘Shoes Don’t Change the World, Being Yourself Does’, encourages the younger generation to embrace and accept themselves, whilst building the self-confidence to overcome any back to school anxiety.

London-based and Devon raised queer musician and singer-songwriter, Abisha, is passionate in her mission of inspiring her audience to embrace their differences fiercely and boldly. In school she felt like she was “sticking out like a sore thumb”, and as a black and queer woman, there were few role models she could look up to or relate to. Her love for song writing and turning her thoughts and feelings into lyrics is her therapy and has always been her way of expressing her true self. Today, Abisha writes songs about the things she needed to hear growing up, and the campaign highlights her story about accepting who she truly is, and how she’s on a mission to help others do the same through her music.

Model and presenter, Jordan, is using his voice to celebrate albinism and raise awareness of the importance of better representation. Jordan was five years old when a boy in school called him a ghost. The boy had never seen anyone with albinism, and neither had Jordan. Jordan has had to explain albinism his whole life, and this campaign highlights his inspirational story of breaking into the modelling industry to be the representation he never had. Jordan’s mentee, seven-year-old Elijah, is also featured within the campaign imagery and films.

To reinforce the representation that they are fighting for, Foot Locker is partnering with TONL to contribute special stock photography to their existing collection to continue their mutual efforts. TONL is an organisation with the goal of transforming stock photography by displaying images of diverse people and telling their stories from around the world. Their celebration of uniqueness and drive to change the status quo of stock imagery is aimed at inspiring others to do the same and aligns with Foot Locker's pursuit of representation and building a better, more progressive world.

Carmen Seman, VP, marketing for Foot Locker in Europe concludes: “This campaign is an extension of our ‘Shoes Don’t Change the World. You Do’, platform, which is our commitment to enabling long-term change for today’s youth. The talent we have chosen to front the Back to School campaign are real changemakers, and it is amazing to see the actions that they are taking in voicing challenges within their respective communities. As a brand, we’re committed to being an ally for the youth, helping them to drive the necessary changes to make the world a better place, and allowing them to use our platform to fight for the things that matter most.”

Carren O’Keefe, executive creative director AnalogFolk: “When we don't see others like ourselves, we wonder what's wrong with us. When in reality, our difference is our power. That's why we felt it was so important to not only tell Abisha and Jordan's stories, but also partner with Foot Locker and TONL to help amplify their representation as far and wide as possible. "

The campaign films launch on Thursday 20th August, across Foot Locker’s social and digital platforms, and in select stores.

In order to ensure that younger generations are fit for the future and ready to face the new school year ahead, on August 20th Foot Locker is launching a new collection online and in-store featuring exclusive executions of favourites including the Nike Air Force 1, adidas Superstar, and TN 1.