Tone of Voice
How we sound when we communicate with the world.
Tone of Voice
The tone of voice of foot locker is fun, energetic, engaging, confident, and modern—with a mix of boldness and edge.
We’re dialed in to sneaker culture, so we use relevant and tasteful language in the space when and where it makes sense, but it also shouldn’t alienate people outside of sneaker culture.
Copy should never feel forced, cringy, or contrived.
Personality
Who We Are
- • Authentic
- • Authoritative
- • Accessible
- • Passionate
Who We Aren’t
- • Contrived
- • Cold
- • Gatekeepers
- • Clout Chasers
Manifesto
Sneakers are our culture.
A source of energy that sparks moments and influences sports and style.
At the center of it all, you’ll find Foot Locker
And our iconic stripers. . .
Absorbing all the positivity generated by sneakers.
And pumping it back out into the world.
Engaged in communities. Boosting confidence. Showing up with a blend of passion, knowledge, and taste you can’t get anywhere else.
Holding it down, while hyping you up.
Now is the time to put the world on notice and show everyone that Foot Locker is. . .
The Heart of Sneakers
Tone Per Category
Basketball POV
Foot Locker isn’t just the heart of sneakers, but it’s also the center of basketball culture. it’s where nba pros connect with hoopers through their signature product. It’s where style on and off the court comes to life. It’s also the place where basketball fans celebrate the game they love. Whether it’s by picking up their favorite team’s gear or finding classic retros to wear on the streets, foot locker leads the league in overall expertise when it comes to basketball culture.
Basketball
Approach
Our take on basketball should be from a cultural, fan, and player perspective, and not so much from a pure performance standpoint. When we do speak to performance, stick to general benefits and don’t go too under the hood with technical details.
YES
H: TALK THAT TALK
S: Anthony Edwards is speaking loud with his debut sneaker, inspired by his hometown and available exclusively at Foot Locker
- • Speaks to cultural moment of debut signature sneaker
- • Plays off personality of talent and design inspiration for storytelling
- • Connects back to Foot Locker as the home for elite basketball footwear
NO
Anthony Edwards AE1 features adidas Boost and Lightstrike technology
- • Leads with a selling point that a general sneaker audience may not be familiar with
- • Misses cultural context of the sneaker launch
Style & Trend POV
Foot Locker isn’t just the heart of sneakers, but it’s also the center of basketball culture. it’s where nba pros connect with hoopers through their signature product. It’s where style on and off the court comes to life. It’s also the place where basketball fans celebrate the game they love. Whether it’s by picking up their favorite team’s gear or finding classic retros to wear on the streets, foot locker leads the league in overall expertise when it comes to basketball culture.
Classics
Approach
Lead with style and trend proposition of classic court and running sneakers, and not the historical context of the product.
YES
H: READY FOR TAKEOFF
S: Make any street your runway in the Nike Air Force 1
- • Appeals to Fashion Forward Enthusiasts and Sneaker Maven
- • Connects the sneaker to a style trend that’s easy to participate in
NO
Bruce Kilgore’s iconic design is available now at Foot Locker
- • Unclear and confusing messaging
- • Only speaks to a limited amount of sneaker mavens and excludes a wider audience of sneaker lovers and sneaker curious consumers
Movement
Approach
Speak to product as if you’re selling to a stylish person that’s looking for comfort on the go and not so much a professional athlete looking for performance specs.
YES
H: BUILT TO RUN IT UP
S: Sneaker styles that can keep up with how you want to move.
- • General enough to speak to the aesthetic qualities + utility of the products
- • Connects the sneaker to a style trend that’s easy to participate in
NO
The Hoka Clifton 9 is ready to help with your next PR goal
- • Unrelatable messaging to non- runners
- • Too performance driven