Dive Brief:
- Move over, Jeff Bridges. Heydude, a shoe brand acquired by Crocs in 2022 for $2.5 billion, has tapped Gen Z actor Sydney Sweeney “to enlighten the masses on what it means to be a Dude.”
- The brand has announced “a long-term, global partnership” and campaign that includes “out-of-home advertising and coordinated social media efforts,” per a company press release.
- Heydude has struggled: Revenues plummeted 17.5% in its most recent quarter, with declines in both the direct-to-consumer and wholesale channels.
Dive Insight:
Heydude has already made a move to share glory with Bridges’ character in the cult movie “The Big Lebowski,” who declared himself to be The Dude, “or his Dudeness, or Duder, or ... El Duderino if you’re not into the whole brevity thing.” The brand has a Big Lebowski x Heydude collab and launched an affiliated sweepstakes earlier this year.
Its Sweeney-led campaign is similarly centered on the “definition of Dude.” But it’s more broadly “focused on comfort, confidence and the empowering complexities of what it means to embrace all sides of self,” per its release.
And its new spokesperson is well positioned to reach a wider, and perhaps younger, audience. Sweeney has won accolades for her roles in streaming hits including "Euphoria" and "The White Lotus," which have achieved a cult status of their own, as well as movies "Anyone But You" and "Reality." She will soon appear in Ron Howard's upcoming thriller "Eden" and Apple TV+’s "Echo Valley."
In a statement, Terence Reilly, who a few months ago arrived from Stanley to lead the Heydude brand, called Sweeney “a generational talent and style icon.”
"Sydney embodies the essence of Dude by always being comfortable in her own shoes,” said Reilly, who also once served as chief marketing officer at Crocs. “That makes her an undeniable fit for not only our shoes but our brand."
In her own statement, Sweeney also emphasized the “comfort” message.
"The brand never sacrifices style for comfort, which is why Heydude's iconic styles are my favorite shoe option whether I'm traveling or commuting to set,” she said. “I'm thrilled to represent the brand in 2024 and beyond."
There’s much work to do before the year ends. Crocs has scrambled to find the right mix of DTC and wholesale to boost Heydude’s sales and margins, and executives earlier this month defended the brand’s contributions to both the top and bottom lines, despite its disappointments.
The company has maintained its expectations for revenues to be down 8% to 10% this year. However, considering that it also expects revenue to fall as much as 16% in the third quarter, that would take “dramatic re-acceleration,” according to Wedbush analysts led by Tom Nikic.
