New Balance promotes Minimus 1010 with ads from Arnold Worldwide

By Chris Reidy, Globe Staff

New Balance Athletic Shoe Inc., the Boston-based company known for athletic footwear and apparel, said that it recently launched a new ad campaign to support its Minimus Trail running shoe.

The campaign was developed by Arnold Worldwide, the Boston shop that is New Balance’s ad agency of record. In March 2011, Arnold unveiled a new tagline for New Balance --- “Let’s Make Excellent Happen” --- and ads for the Minimus Trail shoe continue that theme.

There is also a secondary theme, “Connect More with Minimus.” A TV spot features the song “Dry Bones” by Lateef and the Chief.

The original Minimus performance running shoe was introduced in early 2011. The focus of the new campaign is a variation of the Minimus designed for running on trails. According to New Balance, the Minimus 1010 is a lightweight trail shoe that draws some inspiration from so-called barefoot-style shoes. Such shoes have been described as gloves for the feet, and they are designed to mimic some of the experience of running barefoot. The Minimus 1010 has a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $109.99.

The television campaign for the Minimus 1010 is scheduled to run through September on such national cable programming as ESPN, FX, and Comedy Central as well as the MLB and NFL Networks.

The print campaign appears in the August and September issues of national running and active lifestyle magazines Runner’s World, Running Times, and Outside. The campaign also has a digital component.

With more than 4,000 employees around the globe, New Balance reported 2011 sales of $2.04 billion.