The campaign highlights gift recommendations, seasonal footwear, and anticipated sneaker releases, and features the company’s head of stores, George Jenkins, alongside Stripers in a 60-second spot called “The Holiday Studio.” The campaign is part of Foot Locker’s “It Always Will Be Foot Locker” platform and will span social media, TV, digital, and in-store displays. Jenkins, a 33-year Foot Locker veteran, finds it “surreal” to star in his first campaign for the company and is the first store leader to front a Foot Locker holiday campaign.
Holiday Campaign Strategy
Chief Marketing Officer Brett O’Brien previously stated that employee-generated content is becoming more popular among brands and retailers looking to step up their storytelling.
Foot Locker is also focusing more on long-form content, collaborations, and in-store programming this year.
Many retail players are tapping celebrities for their 2026 holiday campaigns, with Swarovski joining forces with Ariana Grande and Ulta Beauty teaming up with Selena Gomez.
Foot Locker’s shoppers are looking for the right holiday gifts, but buying sneakers can be intimidating for those unfamiliar with the space. Online and in stores, shoppers will see items designated as “George’s Picks” via shoe tags, signage, and displays.
The company is working to improve inventory to avoid stockouts and make it easy for customers to find what’s hot and new. Foot Locker wants to “make sure that the products are prominently placed and not overwhelming for the consumer,” Jenkins added.
Strategic Partnerships and Consumer Trends
Foot Locker continues to collaborate with high-profile athletes, recently sealing a multi-year agreement with basketball star Caitlin Clark.
According to Beth Goldstein of Circana, shoppers are being selective about when and how they allocate discretionary spending. Brands that align with these preferences and offer products that feel relevant—whether through performance, comfort, style, or gift appeal—are positioned to capture demand this holiday season.
Industry Outlook
Retailers expect to see a blockbuster holiday season, with the National Retail Federation projecting that U.S. holiday retail sales for November and December will reach a record $1.013 trillion. However, the footwear industry has had a challenging year due to flip-flopping tariffs and a squeezed oil supply.
According to Circana, footwear dollar sales were flat year over year for the three-month period ending in September, while units sold declined in the mid-single-digits. For the holiday season, Circana expects the footwear market to remain stable, with spending concentrated around Cyber Week.
Foot Locker’s holiday assortment features multiple brands at various price points, including Vans, Nike, New Balance, and Timberland. The company will judge the success of its holiday campaign on factors including traffic, revenue, and engagement.
Foot Locker, which was acquired by Dick’s Sporting Goods in 2025 for $2.4 billion, recently marked its first positive comps since the end of 2024 and returned to profitability in the first quarter of 2026. The company is still working to kickstart sales, revamp stores, and move product more quickly, with the fourth quarter driving about 28% of Foot Locker’s annual revenue in fiscal 2024.
In August, Dick’s Sporting Goods reported that pro forma comps for Foot Locker declined 3.6% in the second quarter, citing a heavily promotional environment and raised inventory of legacy footwear silhouettes as contributing factors. However, executive chairman Ed Stack expressed confidence in the long-term opportunity at Foot Locker, stating that the company is “still early in the Foot Locker turnaround” and continues to invest in strengthening the business.
The “Joy to the Sole” campaign is currently live, and customers can expect to see a variety of promotions and product showcases in stores and online, including the “George’s Picks” selections, which will feature some of the most popular and sought-after footwear styles of the season, such as the Nike Air Force 1 and the Ugg Tasman II.
