Although PF had a long, diverse history, the brand was largely remembered as a childhood remnant of the Boomer generation. To establish the brand with a new audience of trendsetting young adults, PF identity would require robust modern relevance.
In the fast-paced world of fashion, a successful brand must clearly understand its relationship to industry trends and be prepared to evolve. To this end, the Heckler PF team is immersed in vital segments of the fashion industry—international retail, trade and consumer culture—to keep the entire distribution cycle true to brand design.
As the market for premium classic sneakers became more sophisticated and fashion-oriented, Heckler Associates and PF product coordinated to focus on what Heckler dubbed, "The Reclassification of the Sneaker." From packaging to print ads, communications seamlessly segued to focus on the timeless, classic sensibility of PF products, the iconic nature of the brand, its fashion relevance and quality craftsmanship.
Most new PF Flyer customers don't remember the brand at all, but value its authentic heritage. In the re-branding of PF Flyers, history is brought to life not as kitsch but as a heritage of innovation and authenticity. It takes a delicate hand to balance popular historical elements such as "Run Faster, Jump Higher" with the brand's current position and goals. In helping to rebuild the PF Flyers marketing archives, we became authorities in the brand's history, giving us the insight to marry appropriate pieces of PF past with its modern direction.
The discovery of a pair of NBA legend Bob Cousy's original 50s-era PF Flyers led to the reissue of the unique "gullwing" style and the latest chapter in PF brand success. A lifetime of memorabilia on loan from Cousy inspired Heckler Associates' Cousy section on the PF website and a PF installation commemorating the re-release of the 1956 Bob Cousy All-American at Fred Segal Conveyor in Santa Monica. Like Cousy's game itself, the installation was a winning balance of style and sport. The manager of this leading boutique called it "the best installation we've ever had."
Heckler Associates has been instrumental in focusing PF's corporate branding and brand design to authentically present its heritage hand-in-hand with its fashion sophistication and cool. We take pride in the "small ball" aspects of our work, implementing communication strategies across the PF and New Balance organization, creating the tools to keep teams such as sales reps and PR firms building a consistent brand image and message. Looking ahead, we've just completed the next wave of PF vision and voice development to drive the next phase of rapid growth of this international brand.
