HOKA x
The Carbon League

September 2025

A points-driven race-prep league where discipline, execution, and crew spirit mattered as much as speed ending in one shared start line at the HOKA Semi de Paris.

CIELO X1 3.0 | Paris vs Nice | HOKA Semi de Paris

A multi-week brand activation built around the launch of HOKA CIELO X1 3.0, connecting retail, community and content through a Paris vs Nice narrative and a public “scoreboard” mechanic.

Race Day
One Team

Crew ready.
Race ready

Brand: HOKA
Partner: QUATORZE RUNNING
Product: CIELO X1 3.0
Moment: HOKA Semi de Paris 2026
Cast: 8 runners from Paris & Nice
Capture: Abel El Goumri
Format: Hero Reel + Race After Movie + cutdowns + photo series + retail/eShop rollout

Context

To support the CIELO X1 3.0 launch and HOKA’s major seasonal moment—the HOKA Semi de Paris—QUATORZE extended an existing local story from Nice (a Strava segment challenge that awarded race bibs) into a national-scale narrative. The activation turned preparation into content, and content into a reason to show up—week after week—until race day.

Creative idea

THE CARBON LEAGUE reframed “competition”: not a chase for the fastest time, but a league that rewards race craft—showing up, training smart, pacing for others, and delivering on a declared goal. Two teams trained separately (Paris / Nice), accumulated points through preparation and execution, then reunited on the start line as one crew, with the CIELO X1 3.0 as the race-day tool—and the symbol of a “signed” performance.

Experience ecosystem blocks

Storytelling Arc — Nice → Paris vs Nice → weekly league rhythm → race week → race day → film recap

League Mechanic — points for preparation, discipline, pacing/crew actions, and race execution (PB / goal accuracy / negative split, etc.)

Content System — modular templates (KV, team cards, runner cards, scoreboard, race week, race day, results) designed for repeatable weekly publishing

Retail & E-com Layer — store + eShop touchpoints to keep the product visible throughout the build-up and post-race

My role

  • Concept creation & activation design (league mechanic + narrative)

  • Creative direction (tone, manifesto, visual system briefing)

  • Production lead (studio + Paris shoot + Nice shoot + race-day capture)

  • Content strategy & rollout planning (sequencing across brand + athletes + crew accounts)

  • Copywriting (taglines, captions, story overlays, partner comms)

  • Coordination with HOKA, athletes/runners, and internal teams (web/CRM/retail)

Outputs

  • Hero concept: THE CARBON LEAGUE + signature line

  • Teaser Reel + Reel #1 (teams + concept reveal)

  • Studio product shoot (CIELO X1 3.0) + team/runner portraits

  • Paris & Nice shooting days (team content + individual assets)

  • Weekly Score Updates (stories) + race week goal declarations

  • Race-day coverage + final hero film (post-race Reel)

  • Static asset kit: KV master, race-day KV, team cards, runner cards, scoreboard templates, results template

  • Web/CRM/retail rollout plan (newsletter, eShop banners, in-store screens, blog “récit” concept)

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