Hoka Uses Strava Data for Real-Time OOH Campaign in New York

Footwear brand Hoka has launched a digital out-of-home (D/OOH) campaign in New York City that leverages real-time running data from Strava. The "Run Your City" challenge pits the city's five boroughs against one another, with live statistics displayed on digital billboards and transit screens across the city. This initiative marks a direct integration of user-generated fitness data into dynamic ad creative.

The campaign's significance lies in its real-time data activation. Instead of static messaging, Hoka's OOH placements update continuously, reflecting the collective running performance of each borough. This approach aims to foster local competition and community engagement, transforming passive advertising into an interactive scoreboard. It highlights a shift towards more responsive and contextually relevant outdoor media buys.

Hoka is using the Strava API to pull anonymized, aggregated data on distance run by users within each borough. These metrics are then fed into the D/OOH network, dynamically updating leaderboards and motivational messages. The creative adapts to show which borough is currently leading in total distance or average pace, encouraging local runners to contribute to their district's standing.

The marketer is pitting New York’s five boroughs against one another for a “Run Your City” challenge and will leverage the results for campaign creative.

This type of data-driven OOH is not entirely new, but Hoka's direct use of a major fitness platform's user data for competitive, real-time creative pushes the format. Other brands have experimented with dynamic OOH based on weather, traffic, or news feeds, but integrating specific, community-level performance metrics creates a unique connection with the target audience. It moves beyond simple personalization to foster collective identity and rivalry.

What comes next for such campaigns involves deeper integration with user profiles (with consent) and potential expansion into other activity types. The success of Hoka's approach could signal a wider trend for brands to tap into aggregated behavioral data, moving beyond demographic targeting to engage communities based on shared activities and collective goals. Marketers will need to navigate data privacy carefully, ensuring transparency and user control as these capabilities evolve.