Dive Brief:
- Crocs unveiled its first new global brand platform in nearly a decade to better appeal to a younger generation of consumers, according to a press release.
- “Wonderfully Unordinary” centers on self-expression and real-world experiences in a culture “saturated in imitation and algorithmic sameness,” Crocs said. The titular anthem spot depicts a pair of featureless store mannequins as they come alive and grow increasingly human after being outfitted in Crocs’ signature porous clogs.
- "Wonderfully Unordinary," which replaces a “Come As You Are” campaign Crocs introduced in 2017, is designed to be a multiyear effort defining the next chapter for the casual footwear marketer. The revamp follows Crocs appointing a new CMO and its first chief brand officer last year.
Dive Insight:
Crocs is doubling down on themes already prominent in its marketing, including championing self-expression, to engage a valuable Gen Z cohort. “Wonderfully Unordinary” positions Crocs as a lifestyle brand that goes against the grain of digital sameness to encourage more tangible, real-world experiences, whether that’s stopping to smell the flowers or petting a stray cat.
The campaign debuts with an emotionally-driven 90-second spot that shows a store employee slipping Crocs onto the feet of a faceless mannequin. As background music kicks in, the mannequin lurches to life and approaches a wall of TVs broadcasting a dance routine, which it begins to mimic. The mannequin then ventures outside and awakens a companion from a window display at a nearby shop. The duo begins to take on more human features, such as hair and eyes, as they explore different facets of the city before finally transforming into a fully human couple living it up at a club. The ad closes on the copy, “Let your human out.”
Agency Flower Shop handled creative on “Wonderfully Unordinary” while Smuggler’s Adam Berg directed the spot, which was shot in São Paulo, Brazil. The ad is live now in the U.S. while Crocs will continue expanding the campaign throughout 2026 with product storytelling elements, digital and social experiences, influencer partnerships, retail activations and out-of-home advertising. One of Crocs’ goals is to create a “unified brand presence around the world,” per the announcement.
While Crocs doesn’t mention artificial intelligence in the release, it’s possible to interpret the platform — with its focus on mannequins shedding their robot-like tendencies — as a response to automated technology trends. Several brands have recently released campaigns that take firm stances against AI fakeness in favor of celebrating warts-and-all humanity.
Crocs refreshing its messaging approach follows the brand appointing former Fabletics marketer Carly Gomez as CMO in August. Gomez reports to Terence Reilly, who was promoted to be the first chief brand officer of Crocs, Inc., overseeing the Crocs and Heydude brands, last May. Reilly has been working to elevate creative for both brands while developing a more cohesive global narrative through marketing.
