Memes #RunHappy on the Interwebs

Context

Brooks Running wanted a way to engage fans at marathons and tradeshows while extending that energy beyond the event itself. The goal was to translate the joy of running into a participatory digital experience that could live both on-site and online.

Situation

The challenge was creating a campaign that worked across incompatible operating systems, integrated deeply with Twitter’s APIs and moderation systems, and functioned simultaneously as a live activation and a persistent digital platform.

Constraints

The system needed to operate across multiple devices, integrate with Twitter’s marketing and support workflows, and remain resilient to changing platform rules and automated blacklisting systems.

Decisions

We chose to build a flexible meme generator that turned social participation into the core mechanic. Rather than pushing content outward, the system responded to user behavior and invited ongoing creation, sharing, and voting.

Execution

CROWN designed and built a cross-platform meme generator triggered by the #RunHappy hashtag. Users tweeted at @brooksrunning, received a personalized link, created custom memes, and fed content into a live database powering on-site activations at marathons and tradeshows.

Measurement

Success was measured through volume of user-generated content, sustained engagement, influencer amplification, and longevity rather than short-term impressions. We also A/B tested the campaign look to help inform future designs.

Outcome

A single tweet sparked hundreds of user-generated memes, while on-site and tradeshow integrations drove thousands of incremental engagements with the primary content.

The #RunHappy platform ran for more than five years and became a long-standing brand initiative.

Key metrics

300k+

Avg content engagements per event

Learning

Participatory systems that respond to user behavior can outlast campaign cycles. When platforms change, flexible interaction models sustain engagement over time.