Celebrity Name: Katy Perry, Hugo Ekitike, Yao Chen
Brand Name: Balenciaga
Deal Type: Brand Campaign — Sneaker Campaign
Announced: April 3, 2026
Impact: Strengthens Balenciaga’s pop presence, links Perry’s touring-era visibility with the brand’s push into performance‑tinged luxury sneakers, and reinforces a broader strategy of music‑driven storytelling
- Katy Perry stars in Balenciaga’s new campaign for the Radar and Triple S.2 sneakers, marking her first-ever collaboration with the Kering-owned luxury house.
- The campaign also features Chinese actress Yao Chen and Liverpool striker Hugo Ekitike, reflecting Balenciaga’s strategy of assembling globally diverse, cross-industry talent.
- Both sneaker styles, the slim Radar and the retooled Triple S.2 (built from 68 individual pieces), are available now in-store and on Balenciaga.com as part of the brand’s Fall ’26 collection.
- The campaign, photographed by Mark Peckmezian and directed by Mitch Ryan, carries a wellness-and-discipline narrative, aligning Balenciaga’s luxury image with active lifestyle messaging under new creative director Pierpaolo Piccioli.
Balenciaga has unveiled its new sneaker campaign starring pop icon Katy Perry, Chinese actress Yao Chen, and Liverpool striker Hugo Ekitike, a power trio that spans music, film, and football.
The campaign, announced April 3, 2026, promotes two new footwear styles: the slim-profile Radar, featuring a double-lacing system and wraparound grip, and the Triple S.2, a bold reimagining of the brand’s iconic 2017 Triple S, constructed from 68 individual pieces with breathable mesh and printed radiant stripes.
The visuals, shot by photographer Mark Peckmezian and filmed by director Mitch Ryan, lean into a wellness-and-discipline theme. Perry, seen jump-roping in the campaign, shared on Instagram that discipline is “self respect” and “self love.”
The pop star is fresh off her massive Lifetimes Tour (2025), which grossed over $134 million across 91 shows worldwide and sold 1.05 million tickets in support of her seventh studio album 143.
Perry is also booked for major European festival slots in 2026, including Rock in Rio Lisboa and Werchter Boutique. Beyond fashion campaigns, Perry has recently fronted endorsement deals with audio brand Denon (PerL earbuds, 2024).
Ekitike, 23, is riding one of European soccer’s hottest streaks. The French forward joined Liverpool in July 2025 for up to £79 million after scoring 15 goals in 33 Bundesliga games for Eintracht Frankfurt. He’s already clocked 11 Premier League goals and 4 assists this season, with Liverpool facing PSG in the Champions League this week.
Yao Chen, one of China’s most influential actresses and a UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador with 80 million Weibo followers, most recently starred in and executive produced the 2025 television series Fight for Beauty, reinforcing her status as a cultural force well beyond China’s borders.
Balenciaga has previously tapped Labrinth, Winona Ryder and Hudson Williams as brand ambassadors, continuing its trend of blending entertainment, sport and fashion worlds.
Under new creative director Pierpaolo Piccioli, who replaced Demna in May 2025, Balenciaga is clearly pivoting toward a more globally inclusive, lifestyle-forward image. The brand’s ambassador roster already includes Kim Kardashian, Nicole Kidman, Michelle Yeoh, and Isabelle Huppert.
This latest campaign follows the broader luxury sneaker arms race, where brands like Adidas Originals, which recently partnered with Molly-Maé Hague on a co-designed sneaker line, are competing fiercely for the athleisure-meets-luxury market.
Takeaways
This campaign says a lot more than “here are two new sneakers.” Balenciaga is making a calculated statement under Piccioli: the era of one-dimensional luxury marketing is over.
Pairing a chart-topping pop star, a European football phenomenon, and one of Asia’s most powerful cultural figures in a single campaign is a masterclass in geographic and demographic diversification, covering North America, Europe, and China in one shot.
Perry’s timing here is particularly smart. Fresh from a $134M world tour and with European festival dates stacking up in 2026, she’s at a visibility peak. Ekitike’s rise, from Reims to PSG to Liverpool in a £79M deal, gives the campaign a “next-generation sports star” narrative that resonates with a younger, sports-savvy consumer. And Yao Chen’s inclusion signals Balenciaga’s serious intent on the Chinese luxury market.
Together, they reinforce a campaign message that feels authentic: wellness, discipline, and aspiration aren’t just lifestyle aesthetics, they’re the new luxury.
Does a wellness-and-discipline campaign narrative feel authentic for a brand as avant-garde as Balenciaga, or is it a strategic tonal shift to attract a broader audience? As rival houses race to dominate the luxury sneaker space, does the Triple S.2 have what it takes to recapture the cultural moment the original Triple S had in 2017?
