Skechers has named Horizon Global, the joint venture between Havas Media Network and Horizon Media, as a global media partner following a competitive review, per a press release. Horizon Global’s remit for Skechers spans 31 markets across Latin America, Asia-Pacific and Central and Eastern Europe, including Japan, the Philippines, Germany, Spain and Portugal. Dentsu handles Skechers’ U.S. media duties.
The footwear marketer is focused on tapping into BluConverged, an artificial intelligence-powered offering that brings together audience strategy, data, activation and reporting, as it looks to build out its omnichannel capabilities and accelerate international growth. BluConverged combines Horizon’s existing Blu AI platform with Havas’ converged operating system, which is also centered around the technology. The first Skechers campaigns supported by Horizon Global are expected to run later in 2026.
"This win is a strong validation of our model and the unique value we bring to global marketers,” Horizon Global CEO Bob Lord said in a statement. “By combining our collective strengths, we have built an approach that prioritizes platform transparency and open ecosystem innovation while also delivering seamless collaboration, market-level expertise, and modern capabilities at scale.”
The agency shakeup comes as Manhattan Beach, California-based Skechers pushes further into the performance category. The company was acquired by 3G Capital last September and is no longer publicly traded. Before the $9 billion go-private deal’s close, Skechers shared that international sales made up nearly two-thirds of its total business, with Chief Operating Officer David Weinberg calling international the brand’s “primary growth engine.”
The news marks a win for Horizon Global, which formed in September and is targeted at U.S.-centric clients with global footprints. Horizon Media and Havas Media Network otherwise continue to operate independently. Other clients of Horizon Global include SharkNinja, which worked with Horizon Media prior to the joint venture’s launch.
Skechers’ switch to Horizon Global follows other footwear brands making big media account moves. Adidas in June shifted its $512 million global business from WPP to Omnicom, Adweek previously reported.
