ASICS SportStyle sales jumped 83% in the first half of 2026, giving the brand's new agency appointment a significant commercial backdrop.
ASICS selected Boston-based CTP to support the category's communications, brand strategy, and product seeding.
The appointment hands CTP, a longtime Red Sox agency, the job of connecting ASICS with fashion, lifestyle, and cultural audiences.
CTP's assignment spans influencer and creator relations, media outreach, product seeding, and gifting.
Caroline Connly, ASICS America's manager of PR and communications for SportStyle, said CTP has already helped the brand reach new audiences.
"Through CTP we've been able to grow our network in new communities and key cities," she shared in a press release.
"We're looking forward to working together to create new opportunities that connect ASICS with consumers at the intersection of sport, fashion, and culture."
ASICS tested CTP on real seeding work before making the deal official, so the brand hired an agency with an influencer marketing track record.
CTP Connects SportStyle With Creator Seeding
CTP's seeding work gives ASICS several ways to introduce products to creators and editors who can connect them with relevant audiences.
Its work for ASICS also includes the Performance Running division, where the agency developed influencer mailers for the BLOOMSTRIDE launch.
The mailers were gifted to creators at a recent brand event, part of CTP's seeding push behind the shoe's September 1 launch at $150.
The women's running shoe was designed for everyday movement, including activities outside of training.
CTP founder and President Fred Conover said the agency aims to combine strategy, creative, and communications to connect ASICS with its audiences.
One agency seeding both divisions lets ASICS test which influencer partnerships work with runners and sneakerheads.
$821M SportStyle Sales Outpace ASICS' Other Categories
According to ASICS' 2026 interim financial report, SportStyle generated ¥123.2 billion in sales, or approximately $821 million.
The category earned ¥41.9 billion in profit, or about $279 million, up 103% year over year.
In the same period, Performance Running sales grew 19.3% to ¥220.7 billion, or approximately $1.47 billion.
Performance Running remains larger by sales, but SportStyle is growing faster and delivering substantial profit.
The results point to three lessons for brands and their agency partners.
- Follow the fastest-growing category. Brands should track category-level sales to identify emerging demand and allocate budgets to support it.
- Bring in cultural specialists. Agencies should pair established sports expertise with fashion and lifestyle knowledge to reach new audiences.
- Reinvest category profits. Marketing teams should route profit from a breakout category back into the creators and channels that drove it.
SportStyle's profit growth gives ASICS room to fund a fashion-facing brand strategy.
Our Take: Can CTP Win Over Fashion Audiences?
CTP's client history already includes Converse, a sneaker brand that lives in music and street culture.
We like CTP's odds of winning over fashion audiences if its seeding reaches people outside ASICS' usual running circles.
Fashion audiences have their own tastemakers, media outlets, and cultural references.
A branded mailer means little until one of these tastemakers actually wears the shoe.
ASICS already has designer credibility through SportStyle collaborations with Kiko Kostadinov, Thom Browne, and C.P. Company.
CTP's job is to get this collaborator heat in front of creators in the key cities that Connly mentioned.
If SportStyle keeps climbing in North America, the agency will have a strong claim on more of ASICS' influencer budget.
Agency size is a live question at the holding-company level, too.
Omnicom merged Hearts & Science and Mediahub into Hearts United, a media network with about $9.1 billion in 2025 billings.
Want to connect your brand with new audiences?
Explore these top brand strategy agencies that can help align positioning and communications with your business goals.
