A Wren Says

I saw an ad that had Zendaya and On Running together, and I had to click. When did that happen? Apparently, back in June. I am late to the party. There was an initial ad that released, “Dream Together.”

For me it evoked the old Nike ads that I remembered with the dark stylized background and voiceover. This newer campaign is brighter, sunny, and in the Swiss Alps. The viewer is brought in to learn more about Zendaya and her thoughts on movement and trying new things.

What I find most interesting about these ads is not their difference from each other but their difference from how Zendaya has been portrayed previously.

Before, beyond ads for her creative projects, I only saw her featured for luxurious unattainable brands. There was Bulgari, Valentino, and Louis Vuitton. You could argue that Tommy Hilfiger and Lancome are within reach pricewise for many people, but she has worked with them as well. Really, the image that she lends to those brands (and has built for herself) is one of elegance, beauty, and style. Why then go for an athletic brand?

To be fair On, is not just an athletic brand. They have already themselves partnered with a luxury brand, with their ongoing collaboration with Loewe. In a similar fashion, Zendaya gets to bring her own air of luxury and creativity to the brand. This is a partnership, not just a contract to model or appear in ads. She will get input into upcoming collections. And beyond the official on paper duties, she also brings the newly build athletic-core image to the brand. This is coming off of the success of the film Challengers and the boom of tennis core outfits on TikTok that came as a result. The eyes that pay attention to Zendaya’s fashion will likely track to continue to give their attention in the space of this new partnership.

As she someone who is now cemented in the world of fashion, I am watching to see how she will continue to evolve in that space. I’m looking out for an increased variety of partnerships down the pipeline and expansion to different product categories. I am also intrigued by the work that her team is doing to make choices that align with and elevate her image.

I am new to hearing about this Zendaya edit and not even a runner, but I had to poke around at the website myself. Have you had a chance to check out the edit?

You can read more about the initial partnership announcement on WWD here.