MUMBAI, INDIA — McCann Worldgroup India celebrates winning a Gold Lion in Health & Wellness for Buckaroo’s “Fit My Feet” campaign. Shortlisting three times in the Health & Wellness category, the campaign took Gold for Healthcare Product Innovation and also won a Bronze for OTC Products.
People suffering from clubfeet are usually found below the poverty line. While clubfoot is classified as a birth defect, there are multiple environmental and economic factors that lead to the abnormality. Given their income strata, they can’t afford the expensive surgical or footwear solutions available and living with clubfeet leads to loss of not just mobility, but also opportunity and dignity.
Buckaroo’s and McCann Worldgroup’s approach was to not just create a design that could create bespoke footwear for the problem, but also make it cost-effective, widely distributable, and scalable. Which is why the “Fit My Feet” kit was specifically designed to work with the vast street-cobbler network of India.
Kits were designed in collaboration with orthopedic doctors and footwear designers late last year, and early this year were tested with street-cobblers. Once the material testing and learnings were finalized, the kits were launched with a test market in Mumbai.
Since February, over 228,000 custom flip-flops have found their feet. The placement of the kits is with over 4.5K street-cobblers, with plans to scale to pan-India by the end of the year. Fit My Feet successfully managed to create customized flip-flops for clubfeet at just USD 2.40 a pair, while also generating a new revenue stream for cobblers.
Commenting on the win, Prasoon Joshi, Chairman, McCann Worldgroup Asia Pacific & CEO and Chief Creative Officer, McCann Worldgroup India said, “Fit my Feet weaves threads of compassion along with innovation for individuals affected by clubfoot and India’s cobbler community.”
“We at McCann Worldgroup India worked closely with Buckaroo, a brand that carries the vision of revolutionizing footwear, and it’s great that we could come up with this initiative to transform the lifestyles of those whose specific needs are largely ignored. Our compassion-driven and design-led idea helps uplift individuals with clubfoot while also providing a new commerce stream to the cobbler community of India.”
“We are all excited about this initiative. I especially want to mention, Vikram Dhembare, who from inception to execution has been the key to this project. By making this effort of crafting personalized footwear for individuals with clubfoot, the cobblers are not only providing comfortable solutions to them but also nurturing a sense of inclusivity and empowerment within them.”
“For McCann Worldgroup India, it is one of our progressive steps towards a society where every individual’s unique needs are met with creativity, compassion, and dedication.”