Minnesota’s Red Wing Shoes launches global ‘Made the Hard Way’ campaign

The “Made the Hard Way” Red Wing Shoes billboards along Hennepin Avenue in Minneapolis are part of a major rebranding campaign that stretches from Minnesota and Toronto to Tokyo and Amsterdam.

The 120-year-old Red Wing company also has a new logo, website and media campaign. It includes a bit of internal rearranging, putting its Work and Heritage shoe brands under one category.

In the end, “millions of people will see this,” said Red Wing spokesman Aaron Seymour-Anderson. He declined to disclose the cost of the campaign, but it involved four Minnesota and New York ad agencies and dozens of fabricators, photographers, videographers and other professionals.

“The intent here is to do two things — build brand and drive demand,” said Dave Schneider, chief marketing officer.

The splashy effort is unfolding in three parts.

Social media posts in November introduced the “Made the Hard Way” theme. Two handmade billboards made of wood or leather were installed in downtown Minneapolis at the end of November.

Others are now being installed globally throughout December.

That part of the campaign is meant to “elevate the importance of the skilled trades” and to poke a little fun at the comparatively easy “sneaker drops,” Seymour-Anderson said.

Sneaker drops are actually an introduction of a new product at stores, supported by often buzz-producing social media. They often include first edition or rare sneaker styles to super fans.

In contrast, “you have to work to get our boots,” Seymour-Anderson said tongue in cheek.

The New York-based Wieden + Kennedy ad agency, known for its Nike work, came up with the concept. In October, Fridley-based NParallel + Atomic Props set about trying to bring it to life.

NParallel is an experiential marketing firm known for creating giant props and designing trade show and street scenes. The company jumped at the chance to build the outrageously complicated “Made The Hard Way” billboards.

“Normally, billboards are just made of vinyl, so this was unusual. [Red Wing’s] tannery sent us all of the boot leather that went up on the billboard,” said NParallel account rep Courtney Brendel.

“It took 150 cow hides” to cover the steel frame plus adhesives, fasteners, nails and a waterproof marine sealant," said Amber Young at the company. “The solid pine billboard weighed over 3,000 pounds so we really had to rely on engineers to make sure that we were doing everything safe and durable.”

Young said the entire team of 75 employees was proud to see their work installed in Minneapolis, especially since most of NParallel + Atomic Props works ends up in New York and Los Angeles.

“To be able to work on a brand like Red Wing Shoes that you grew up knowing, and then just see it in your own geography? It was such a pride point for everybody ... at the agency.”

Last month, it took five men from Outfront Media two cranes and many hours to hoist and install the billboards downtown, where they already are being noticed by city workers.

In partnering with Wieden + Kennedy to flesh out the “Hard Way” concept “they really went with a really strong, creative resource for sure,” Perro-Jarvis said. “That’s one of the best [agencies] ever ... and that seems like that choice is reflective of what I would imagine their positioning is.”

As a product, Red Wing boots are known to be “some of the most finely-crafted boots that you can buy. People literally have them for decades and decades. So to me, [this campaign] feels like just a really nice, clear, succinct expression of what the product is,” Perro-Jarvis said.

A film crew videotaped the billboard installation in Minneapolis and posted the time lapsed film on various Instagram sites, including Red Wing’s and media controlled by Lex The Electrician, a well-known influencer with 1 million followers.

More billboards will go up around the world in the next few weeks, but those will not be handmade, company officials said.

The “Hard Way” campaign is the latest in a series of showy, quirky media outreaches for Red Wing Shoes. The iconic company is known for manufacturing its indestructible work boots right here in Minnesota for factory, construction, mining, steel and farm workers around the globe.

Last year’s ad campaign featured the late, iconic actor Steve McQueen to showcase the company’s abhorrence of fast fashion and to sell the idea Americans should leave their old Red Wing Boots to their heirs.

Red Wing also created a social media sensation in 2021 when it launched 13 global ads promoting its intentional “Out of Fashion” vibe.

Those ads were filmed in Taiwan, England, Philadelphia and other spots around the world using real customers who contributed to their communities in unusual ways: Black equestrians in Philadelphia, English beekeepers and two octogenarian dry-cleaners in Taiwan, who cheekily wore the apparel of deadbeat customers who left behind clothing without paying the bill.

Letters written by the late journalist Hunter Thompson were used as “voice overs” on each Out of Fashion ad.

Now Red Wing’s back with another nod to its rebel fashion trend.