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Code and Theory

Code and Theory

Code and Theory is a digital-first creative agency, with a strategically driven company that lives at the intersection of creative and technology, solvers of consumer and business problems across the entire end-to-end customer journey, agents of change moving through today’s digital-first world, and limited only by own creativity.

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Code and Theory Services

Using data, expertise, and technology, Code and Theory create personalized and connected experiences that deliver transformative business outcomes. They provide clients integrated marketing solutions that can be scaled as their business grows.

Transformational Technology

We help our clients reinvent their technical infrastructure and roadmap in order to deliver for the needs of today and tomorrow.

Integrated Marketing

We deliver the right messages to new and existing customers across the entire ecosystem.

Services, Platforms & Products

We create best-in-class platforms built around both the user and the business goals, often extending into connected physical expressions.

Business & Organizational Consulting

We work with our clients not only to define and deliver products, services and communications, but also to design the business itself.

Data, Analytics and Research

Our data-driven approach enables us to understand every aspect of end-to-end consumer journeys, and powers our work from start to finish.

Skills

Advertising . B2B Marketing . Digital Advertising . Digital Marketing . Digital Marketing Strategy

Locations

Headquarter Information

One World Trade Center, 62nd Floor New York, NY 10007
212.358.0717
[email protected]

All Locations

New York, NY . San Francisco, CA . London . Manila

Code and Theory Case Studies

Pushing Forward For Ultraboost 19

In 2015, the Adidas Ultraboost running shoe hit the streets as the first of its kind. Sitting on a brand new midsole compound, Ultraboost introduced the concept of “energy return,” a positive feedback loop between runner and shoe.

The Ultraboost gained traction fast and soon became the first running shoe with serious hype. In fact, Ultraboost made such an impact on the fashion sneaker market that it began to lose credibility as a true performance shoe.

With competitors also beginning to encroach on the world of energy return, Adidas needed to defend its position with the global launch of Ultraboost 19.

It was time to reaffirm Ultraboost as an icon of running.

Adidas would go back to the community that made Ultraboost such a success in the first place–bringing together 4,000 runners to pull apart Ultraboost and reimagine what a performance shoe could be.

Ultraboost 19 was described with one word: “Reboosted.”

Our challenge: create an omni-channel campaign that connected all points of the consumer experience across digital and physical, ultimately driving to purchase.

THE RESULTS:

When Ultraboost 19 finally hit the shelves, Adidas saw significant product sell-through in just the first 10 days:

14% in North America
23% in Western Europe
11% in APAC
It was clear: Ultraboost 19 was the Greatest Running Shoe Ever.

Repositioning the Brand for a Millennial Audience

Chandon was founded in 1973 by the parent company Moet & Chandon. Though it is produced in the same way as champagne, Chandon is considered “sparkling wine” because it is not made in the Champagne region of France. As a result, Chandon boasts a high-quality product without the champagne price tag.

Chandon wanted to build greater relevance with the consumer driving the most growth within the sparkling wines category - millennial females. However, this audience did not know much about sparkling wine, often confusing it with more luxurious champagne reserved for special occasions or dismissing it as an inexpensive alternative made purely for boozy brunch mimosas. Chandon found itself in this crowded competitive middle ground with very little distinction.

Chandon needed to connect with this new audience and reposition the brand from a special occasion indulgence to an any-day celebration.

To stand out in the crowded and often forgotten “middle bubblies” category, we needed to break down consumer perceptions to present Chandon as the premium bubbly for the special everyday moments — when genuine connections happen.

Code and Theory team launched a new global Chandon brand platform — “Let’s Catch Up” — a rallying cry for the female millennial audience looking to spend more quality time together with friends. From social media to in-store retail,“Let’s Catch Up” brought to life the experiences that we wanted consumers to associate with Chandon.

THE RESULTS:

20.7 point increase in brand awareness for the initial seasonal campaign post brand platform relaunch.

31% of social comments coming from our target talk about catching up showcasing that our message was being received.


The response was right on target with consumers regularly tagging their friends to schedule their own catch-ups after being inspired by Chandon content. We were able to break through and give Chandon a very distinct role within the cluttered category.

Launching the Next Chapter in Adidas Basketball

In early 2021, Adidas Basketball launched a new technology— and in the process, ushered in a daring new era in performance through the brand’s biggest basketball star, James Harden. Due to the unique nature of this launch, Code and Theory was tapped to skillfully deploy distinct messages across the digital campaign ecosystem in a cohesive manner. Based on the unique purpose and audience of each touchpoint, the narrative would slightly shift and scale to highlight either the technology, the fashion, or the talent behind the product.

Through a combination of on- and off-foot photography, technical illustrations, and longer-form video content, Code and Theory was able to introduce new proprietary technology by Adidas through their biggest Basketball star—all while grounding the digital experience in consumer-first e-comm needs.

With a goal of generating positive sentiment for the Harden brand within Adidas Basketball, Harden’s story was told through the lens of Futurenatural technology. By drawing a connection between the shoe’s design and Harden’s skills on the court, consumers had a new appreciation for the athlete’s commitment to being “one step ahead.”

THE RESULTS:

Within 24 hours, the shoe completely sold out in US markets.

Helping Artists Grow on the Music Platform

Spotify had a problem but its solution was obscured and hidden. The problem was a stubbornly negative perception among independent artists that the platform cared only about the big acts. The solution was to develop a robust artist dashboard called “Spotify for Artists” that offered a suite of services to help artists monetize their audience and develop a livelihood out of their art. The good news is that the “S4A" works and it helps thousands of artists; the bad news is that there are thousands of artists who do not know how to use the dashboard and why how it can help them.

The code and theory team’s research and design exploration helped us identify the two main types of content that could convert their target audience. One of those content formats is inspirational stories that demonstrate how similar artists (not the big names) were able to flourish and grow on Spotify. These stories revealed a variety of tools and promotional channels that de-mystified the entire platform, turning it from a player to listen to music, into a tool that can generate revenue. The other type of content was strict, utilitarian information. The Spotify team had enough user data to know what FAQ questions mattered the most to this audience. Our job was to deliver that information as efficiently as possible.

THE RESULTS:

A new design standard for content that is propagating throughout the Spotify ecosystem. The “S4A” FAQ design treatment is defining the way Spotify delivers utility and our premier content design system is defining the way evocative stories are told. Perception of what Spotify can do is also changing; enrollment among independent artists has grown and the Code and Theory designs are being leveraged in other channels in the Spotify ecosystem.

A New Customer Experience for Fitbit.com

Having not re-designed for several years, Fitbit was well behind in e-commerce best practices. Not only that but it wasn't tied to its initial product roadmap. As a result, Fitbit tapped Code and Theory to build out a phased redesign of their site. Using a combination of existing user types, existing site analysis, and our own e-commerce expertise, we delivered a brand new design system built leveraging motion and interaction to bring to life the next generation of fitbit.com.

When creating the customer journey we considered a clear purchasing path that was defined by the storyboard developed during our weeklong workshop with the Fitbit team. The storyboard inherited the big idea themes identified during the defined workshop such as easy purchase, clarity, guidance, being transparent and progressive disclosure.

THE RESULTS:

The result is a personalized shopping experience that balances inspiration and exploration with conversion while adding extra utility and personalization for existing Fitbit users and customers. We developed a rich evolution of their existing brand elements and created a bold, type-driven, but playful look through the use of color blocking, and delightful interactions. An overall reduction in copy and visual clutter helped elevate their photography and focus the user on finding the right product for them.

Adidas Originals Nite Jogger

In January 2019, Adidas Originals kicked off a new chapter in product design — reflective lifestyle shoes. The Nite Jogger was the brand’s largest launch to date, spanning four drops over six months and in two-dozen colorways.

Code and Theory was tasked to deliver an innovative digital experience that achieved three critical needs:

-Introduce and educate consumers on both the franchise and its core technology.
-Develop an experience that brings to life the concept of the shoe-creativity coming alive at night.
-Extend the above-the-line concept through content, technology and innovation.
-With the brand, consumer, and a series of global creators all creating content, the message and strategy became clear: creativity never sleeps.

THE RESULTS:

A custom .com experience that evolved around an editorial framework over four drops. We also designed a custom app experience to give creative power to consumers, enabling them to cohesively create for the brand, dive deeper into the product features, and experience a shoe and a world that changes from night to day. We supported with experience with an ecosystem that included partners, local markets, CRM, paid media, and personalized .com assets.

Marketing Agency's Mission

Code and Theory Mission

To be the most influential business performance agency and a true partner to our clients, helping them reshape their businesses to meet the demands of this convergent world.

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