Why we love Bandit Running’s unconventional brand awareness grab

Running enthusiasts and novices alike may have noticed something a little different at this year’s U.S. Track & Field Olympic Trials in Eugene, Oreg. While there was a sea of athletes donning the logos of running giants like Nike and Adidas across their chests’, spectators also likely spotted several athletes — 35 to be exact — sporting all-black, logo-free kits. Each of those runners was unsponsored, meaning they hadn’t signed a deal with a major shoe brand. And, normally, these athletes would have paid for and chosen their own kit bearing the logo of one of these running powerhouse brands, effectively providing free advertising without reaping the financial benefits of sponsorship.That is until the Brooklyn-based apparel brand Bandit Running stepped in. 

Founded in 2020, part of Bandit’s mission is to “Evolve Running,” and in their pursuit to change the industry’s sponsorship model, they purposefully or not, gained exposure for their brand without using their logo during one of the sport’s most high-profile events. Through what they’ve dubbed “The Unsponsored Project,” Bandit Running provided two-week sponsorships to this group of athletes. The limited-time sponsorship included cash with no strings and, according to Bandit’s website, “unbranded kits and warmups in order to make it as clear as possible that they [the athletes] are unaffiliated and open for sponsorship business.”

For long-time NASCAR fans, this approach to signaling a need for sponsorship may sound vaguely familiar. NASCAR has some of the most in-your-face sponsorships — you can't miss them because they are plastered all over each car. So when driver Josh Wise hit the track in an all-black No. 98 Ford Fusion of Phil Parsons Racing during a 2014 race, fans took note. According to Motorsport.com, Denis Pavel, a 16-year-old fan and Reddit user, took to the social platform asking the /r/NASCAR community to help fundraise a sponsorship for the underdog. Reddit’s Dogecoin community — a cryptocurrency born from the Doge meme — answered his call, raising $55,000 in just eight days, according to The Guardian. The No. 98 car donning Dogecoin branding debuted shortly after at the Aarons 499 Sprint Series Cup Race.

While Bandit Running may have inadvertently taken a page out of this book, what they did is arguably even more impactful — not just for the unsponsored athletes they propelled into the spotlight, but also for their brand. This ultra-modern, up-and-coming running brand with a bit of an urban flair isn’t a household name, unless you live in the world of run-specialty, and it’s likely even less well known within the community than other apparel brands in this space like Tracksmith, Rabbit, Janji and Oiselle. What better way to challenge the Goliath brands like Nike and Adidas than by standing out in a sea of same-old, same-old, while also eliminating obstacles for elite athletes “betting on themselves?” 

Even without including Bandit Running’s logo on these all-black kits, the brand did a few things: 

• Piqued the interest of a captive audience: Much like the NASCAR example, zigging while everyone else was busy zagging made the logo-less kits stand out while the running community was watching. Those all-black kits led to some Googling, which, of course, brings the target audience (runners) to Bandit’s website and boosts brand awareness. 
• Made the athletes the center of their story: Bandit Running made the “Unsponsored Project” about empowering the athletes, shining a light on their tireless efforts to get to such an elite stage and ultimately highlighting the financial burden of chasing an Olympic dream. Who doesn’t want to support a brand that’s lifting up athletes and giving them the opportunity to secure a sponsorship that could bring them one step closer to achieving their dreams? The story they are telling should have a significant positive impact on brand trust and loyalty. 
• Generated media buzz: Those logo-less kits and the athletes donning them generated some earned media attention on the national stage from CNBC, while also boosting engagement on their digital platforms.

With the U.S. Olympic track and field team locked in for Paris, we’re excited to see what’s next for this running industry disruptor. We’d bet Bandit Running is much like many of our clients and will continue to find white space in a sea of industry powerhouses.

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