Marketing Dive

Crocs debuts mascot Niles for brand storytelling

Crocs introduced a new reptilian mascot named Niles to serve as a long-term piece of brand IP and to support social content, experiences and other marketing activities. Debuting in a microseries filmed at Crocs’ headquarters, Niles is a six-foot-tall, non-speaking character who wears clogs and is intended to appear across content formats rather than as a one-off campaign asset. Crocs’ CMO Carly Gomez described the mascot as a scalable investment that can evolve across content, experiences and future brand extensions. The announcement arrives ahead of Crocs’ 25th anniversary and follows the company’s recent sales momentum driven in part by social commerce activity.

Rhone shifts to brand-building with NYC campaign

Rhone launched a new brand campaign, “A Love Letter to NYC,” as it pivots from performance-focused marketing to upper-funnel brand building amid growth in retail and wholesale. The campaign — created in-house and with media handled by Kepler Group, the brand’s media agency of record — spans linear and connected TV, social, direct mail, print, out-of-home, and in-store activations, including Citi Bike dock takeovers and a Flatiron store photo booth. Bethany Evans, who became Rhone’s chief marketing officer in November 2024 after more than five years at The North Face, says the effort highlights the brand’s move to an omni-channel approach and reflects an evolution in performance apparel. Rhone operates a flagship in Flatiron, is headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut, has more than 20 U.S. retail stores and expanded wholesale partnerships including Bloomingdale’s.

Gap launches fall denim campaign starring Inde Navarrette

Gap launched a fall campaign called “Denim on your own” that pairs actor Inde Navarrette with singer-songwriter Malcolm Todd. The spot, directed by Tanu Muiño with creative direction by Gap’s Calvin Leung, features Todd’s cover of Robyn’s “Dancing on My Own” and was rolled out across Gap’s digital and social channels, email, stores and out-of-home placements (including billboards in Times Square and on Sunset Boulevard). Paid media elements will run on major social/video platforms and via creator partnerships. The campaign highlights Gap’s continued focus on music-and-movement-driven marketing and follows recent celebrity collaborations that have helped revive Gen Z relevance and improved comparable sales.