We’ve seen the videos making the rounds on social media of swarms of customers running out of stores clutching a armful of clothes.
It appears to be a new modus operandi - overwhelm store employees and they won’t know what hit them.
But one store in Paris is actually encouraging its customers to steal their running shoes. Yes, we know it sounds too good to be true, because it is.
French retailer Distance is challenging anyone to steal from its store if they can outrun an elite sprinter.
And this isn’t any sprinter, it’s THE Méba-Mickaël Zeze, a French sprinter who specialises in 100 and 200 metres. He’s also got an impressive medal collection.
The campaign, titled ‘Rob It To Get It,' is a massive marketing ploy, inviting customers to steal from the running store, AdWeek reported.
For the duration of the campaign Zeze sits guard in front of the store.
For you to get your hands on the brand’s sportswear, all you have to do is elude capture by Zeze. If you can outrun him, you’re allowed to keep the item.
Thus far, only two out of 74 customers have managed to evade capture.
“I thought it was a joke at first,” Laurie Sicot, who tried their luck, told The Washington Post.
According to AdWeek, the aim of the campaign is to underline that Distance’s products should be worn by true running enthusiasts.
“Distance is a concept running store inspired by art, fashion and design.
“But our priority, as runners advocates, has always been to share tips and provide the best gear to athletes looking to improve their performance,” Distance founder Guillaume Pontier said in a statement to the publication.
As far as marketing campaigns go, the brand isn’t afraid to push the envelope. In 2021 it challenged runners to break Paris’ new speed limit on foot instead of driving.
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