GEOX AMPHIBIOX | THE ULTIMATE WATERPROOF TEST (7 Days of Rain) | 2013
In a Sunny City, It Rained for Seven Days Straight / GEOX "THE ULTIMATE WATERPROOF TEST"
They built three artificial rain clouds and kept one man soaked in rain for seven days straight. The location: the middle of Barcelona. Even though the sky was clear.
The problem
GEOX's Amphibiox is a waterproof, breathable city shoe. But nobody believes you just because you say "it's waterproof." The year before, GEOX had tested the shoes in Cherrapunji, a village in India known as the rainiest place on earth, and won an award for it. For the second year, there was no rainier place left to find.
The insight
The answer wasn't to go looking for a place with rain—it was to make the rain yourself. Bring artificial rain clouds into the middle of a sunny city, and anywhere can become your venue. As GEOX's marketing lead put it: "We wanted to show how hard it is to live in the rain. The shoes won't make the rain any easier, but they can at least keep your feet dry." The idea was to take everyday life and push it to its extreme, just as it is.
The idea
They developed three artificial clouds, and under the clear sky of Barcelona, they exposed a 34-year-old man named Tom to a steady rain and humidity for seven days straight. He went sightseeing, worked, went on dates, and carried out his ordinary city life—all in the rain. The rain cloud even followed him into taxis. They also shot a super slow-motion "shoe cam" to show the shoes repelling water, and released the whole thing as a documentary on their website, letting people follow the seven days freely. MediaMonks handled everything in-house, from building the clouds to shooting and editing.
What happened
Within a few weeks of launch, the site drew over 900,000 visitors, a 200% increase over the previous year. Facebook gained 150,000 followers in two weeks. The campaign won nine awards at Eurobest, including the Grand Prix in the Promo & Activation category, and the shoe collection sold out within two months.
Afterthought
Turning a shoe test into pure entertainment. And not by faking it—they really did make it rain for seven real days, with real clouds they really built. That sense of "this is real" is what makes the whole thing work. Taking the risk, and following through on the idea exactly as conceived—that's the kind of commitment worth aspiring to.
Awards
- Cannes Lions Gold 2013
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