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Dunlop Volleys, born 1939. The shoe of choice for nine out of ten Wimbledon players for forty years - Evonne Goolagong, Ken Rosewall, Margaret Court among them. Very little has changed in Volleys in more than 75 years, right down to still having the same pattern on the sole.
When Dunlop joined Pacific Brands, Volleys presented a fascinating challenge. Clearly the sports shoe landscape had changed beyond recognition - now dominated by some of the biggest, most aggressively marketed brands in the world.
Yet there was something about Volleys - their very basic-ness - that our team felt could provide a welcome antidote to the relentless wave of slick sports shoe marketing. Could we really turn understated into brilliant? The 1.8 million pairs of Volleys sold in the 12 months to June 2008 proves our team was right… we could and we did.
It took skill, careful planning and a degree of 'un-marketing'.
In December 2007, we launched the 'Exceptionally Average' campaign featuring US 'Hand Musician' Gerry Phillips, wearing Volley Internationals while playing classic tunes with nothing but his hands. The captivating quirkiness of the campaign matched the Volley brand proposition perfectly and struck a chord with consumers. Sales rose 42% on the previous year, with the campaign itself developing a huge following on internet video site Youtube.
How do you innovate a classic? Very carefully indeed. When your brand is grounded by being understated, bells and whistles will not be well received. But innovate our team has - both skilfully and successfully.
VOLLEY SS
Hearing that the classic Volley was no longer measuring up against the more advanced tricks of today's skate scene, Dunlop teamed up with Australian skater Trevor Ward to create a more hard-wearing, double-layered canvas, padded shoe perfect for the job.
STEEL CAPPED VOLLEYS
Volleys have long been worn in the trade sector - particularly by roofers and painters due to the high grip of the sole. So we released Steel Capped Volleys meeting the safety requirements of the modern worksite and still letting young guys wear the shoes they want.
MOOKS LOVES VOLLEYS
In October 2007, Dunlop and Australian streetwear label, Mooks, collaborated on the Mooks loves Volleys range - a limited edition range of Volley Internationals customised with Mooks designs. Sales were great and consumer feedback was positive, so watch out for more collaborations in the future.
As we head towards 2009, Dunlop Volleys are in a league of their own with a huge and loyal fan base. Just flicking through the pictures and stories of their beloved shoes that Volley fans upload on our website is evidence enough of this remarkable brand's cult status and enduring potential.
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