Reebok launched their brand-new ZPump shoe on the streets of Hollywood last night with a surprise gig from rapper-of-the-moment Kendrick Lamar (whose new album, To Pimp A Butterfly, was also released this week).
To help to drive home the fact that the ZPump is Reebok’s big return to the running-shoe market (the company has mostly focused on the CrossFit market of late), Kendrick’s fans had to run 5k if they wanted to experience the concert, as the rapper performed on the back of a steadily rolling flatbed lorry.
The whole crazy thing came to a clanging halt when Lamar quoted F–k Tha Police, the infamous 1988 track by LA rap legends NWA, at which point miffed cops moved in and shut the jog/gig hybrid down.
Predictably, the launch (and its ensuing fallout) sent social media into a right old tizz. So as publicity stunts for new running shoes go, this one can probably go into the file marked ‘Yep, that worked a treat’.
We’ve tasked ultra-runner Kieran Alger with testing out the ZPump for us – he’s currently pushing a pair to their absolute limits, and will be reporting back shortly.