By signing up Zendaya, On is playing on Nike, Adidas and Puma’s turf

With Zendaya, On is taking things to the next level. The Swiss brand, founded in Zurich in 2010 by Olivier Bernhard, David Allemann and Caspar Coppetti, with a new concept in running shoes, is taking a major step forward by enlisting the American actress as a “brand partner.”

“It’s no secret that I’ve been a big fan of On for a long time. I always wear them on shoots, when I’m travelling, when I’m rehearsing or when I’m walking with my dog. So it’s coming full circle to make this partnership official”, said the actress with 185 million followers on Instagram, adored by Gen Z.

With this announcement, On is playing on the same ground as the major international sports equipment manufacturers, who have developed relationships with artists to reinforce their lifestyle image.

It’s true that On was given a high profile in the film ‘Challengers’ (starring Zendaya) a few weeks ago and has signed singer FKA Twigs as the face of its autumn/winter 2024 training collection. But just as Puma transformed sportswear brand marketing in 2016 by teaming up with Rihanna, this multi-year agreement with Zendaya could well be the cornerstone of the label’s development. It could also open up huge opportunities for the label to expand into new lifestyle segments, particularly with women and its textile offering.

‘Together, Zendaya and On will fuel important conversations about movement and well-being, reimagine certain product collections and produce new creative campaigns,’ the brand said in a statement on June 6.

“With the support of her longtime stylist, Law Roach, Zendaya has translated her fascination with storytelling into her approach to fashion. She will bring this same stylistic intent to On, working to reimagine and collaborate on designs and future collections through the lens of everyday movement, sport and lifestyle.”

The first concrete expression of this partnership, the financial details of which have not been revealed, is a campaign directed by C Prinz, a visual artist and director who has already made clips and films for YSL, Givenchy and Nike. In terms of both direction and style, the campaign sets out the direction that On is taking. While the sporting framework still exists, the performance aspect is not at its heart, and the brand itself presents itself as ‘a global sportswear brand’.

This is quite an evolution, given that the Swiss label first established itself among running and trail runners in the 2010s, before expanding into training and then, with Swiss tennis star Roger Federer becoming a shareholder, into tennis.

Listed on the New York stock exchange in September 2021, the brand, which posted sales of 1.79 billion Swiss francs (€1.84 billion) last year, has been working to upgrade its image for several seasons now, notably by teaming up with luxury brand Loewe and the Post-Archive Faction label, with the stated aim of ‘redefining luxury by integrating environmentally-friendly materials and innovative techniques, so that style meets sustainability’.

The group expects sales of CHF 2.29 billion in 2024.