Factor

Factor x Paul Smith - Bringing Cycling & Fashion Together

Brief

In 2023, performance bicycle brand Factor forged a partnership with international fashion icon and keen cyclist Sir Paul Smith to create a limited edition version of its flagship racing bike, the OSTRO VAM. With less than 1,000 built, the bike would feature a paint job and other aesthetic features designed personally by Sir Paul Smith and be sold via Factor’s website and selected dealerships in Winter 2023.

As Factor’s retained global PR agency, the SHIFT team was briefed to support the brand in announcing the partnership and raising awareness of the bike to the world’s media.

Insight

With the worlds of cycling and fashion coming together, the partnership presented a unique PR opportunity to drive excitement and awareness of the launch far beyond a simple media announcement. The November launch timings also presented opportunities to activate around key moments in the cycling events calendar, whilst close collaboration with the Paul Smith comms team would unlock further potential to reach a broad global audience.

Solution

For maximum impact, the SHIFT PR team devised a phased approach, delivering a three-week campaign of activations rather than a single launch moment. Harnessing premium cycling industry event Rouleur Live and Factor’s brand ambassador Chris Froome pre-announcement whilst collaborating with the Paul Smith team to deliver a premium international launch event, the team set out to drive global coverage and online engagement that would make it the most talked about bike launch of the winter.

Experience

The first phase was about driving anticipation pre-launch via targeted teaser activity. This included revealing the bike without explanation at Rouleur Live followed by Factor ambassador Chris Froome racing it a week later to generate further buzz. The launch saw the worlds of fashion and cycling coming together with a VIP & media party at the Paul Smith store in London, hosted by Factor founder Rob Gitelis and Sir Paul Smith himself. With SHIFT’s Creative team capturing content on the night, assets were then deployed across multiple channels for additional post-launch momentum.

Results

The campaign delivered nearly 70 pieces of branded coverage across both endemic and mainstream outlets in all of Factor’s target global markets, delivering a reach of over 10 million. It also generated significant engagement on social media, delivering over 15,000 engagements, 1.6million reach on YouTube and more than 400,000 on Instagram.