Case Study Mizuno: From Sponsorship to City Presence – Mizuno at the Uniper Düsseldorf Marathon 2026

As the exclusive sponsor of the Uniper Düsseldorf Marathon 2026, Mizuno aimed to leverage the sponsorship to enhance brand visibility during the event and specifically boost brand awareness in Germany. The objective was to reach not only the runners but also spectators and sports-enthusiastic Düsseldorf residents experiencing the marathon weekend.

From Osaka to the Rhine – a 3D origami presentation translates Mizuno's Japanese brand heritage into the spirit of the Düsseldorf Marathon weekend. Origami, a cultural symbol of Japan, combined with the dynamic energy of a city marathon – a creative concept that brings global brand DNA into a local moment.

The creative concept was deployed across two channels with clearly distinct tasks: Display in-banner video ads targeted sports and running enthusiasts, while city light posters along the marathon route and at high-traffic touchpoints in Düsseldorf anchored the brand in the urban landscape. The integration of both channels created a recognition effect between screen and street – seeing online what was encountered in real life offline.