To learn more, we spoke with Francesca Alviani, Marketing Specialist at Sympatex and Bine Penz, the talented illustrator behind the SAM campaign.

1. What is the goal of the SAM campaign?

“The SAM campaign was created to add value in stores for our brand partners, especially during the busy back-to-school season,” says Francesca. “We wanted to get closer to the end consumer and raise awareness of the high quality and sustainability behind our products. As an ingredient brand, Sympatex isn’t always visible to consumers, but SAM helps change that. Through a friendly visual language, we’re able to communicate our message more effectively to families.”

2. How does SAM help educate kids and parents?

“We completely reworked our language to be more understandable for families and older kids. In SAM’s world, protection, comfort, and sustainability are key. We wanted to make it easy for families to connect with these important values. SAM helps us to make visible what is invisible in the end products: the Sympatex membrane that protects kid’s feet and our environment.”

3. What sustainability messages are highlighted in the campaign?

Francesca points out Sympatex’s four key pillars: eco-design, reducing CO₂ emissions, recyclability, and being PFAS-free. “We focused on making these concepts visually engaging and easy to understand. Using icons and simplified language, we make sustainability accessible for all.”

4. What point-of-sale materials were created for the campaign?

“We developed posters, hangtags for children’s shoes, brochures, shelf displays, and more,” Francesca explains. “Our SAM brochure highlights the sustainability loop and even includes a fun craft element for kids, like a colouring feature using Sympatex colours. It’s designed to be interactive, engaging, and educational.”

The success of the SAM campaign owes much to Bine Penz, an Austrian illustrator known for her captivating children’s book illustrations. We asked Bine about her approach bringing SAM to life:

5. What inspired SAM’s design?  

“I wanted SAM to embody curiosity, openness, connectedness, and creativity—qualities needed to address issues like wastefulness, CO₂ emissions, and microplastics,” says Bine. “SAM is a young explorer, full of joy and empathy, making him relatable to children while reflecting Sympatex’s values.”

6. Was it challenging to balance fun and education?

“For me, education and fun go hand-in-hand. Those who see the world through a child’s eyes understand that learning can be enjoyable. SAM is filled with joy and curiosity, much like the children we hope to reach.”

7. How do you feel about the final result, and what do you hope kids and parents will take away from the visuals when they encounter them in stores?

“The great collaboration with the technically skilled, dynamic, and open team at Sympatex provided the ideal foundation for my creative work. I enjoyed the process and am proud of the result, which will soon be seen in many places. I hope that SAM sparks curiosity, fosters openness, creates a sense of connectedness, and ignites creativity – all of which are essential for inspiring change.”

Francesca and the team at Sympatex are excited about the potential for expanding SAM’s story. “We see a lot of opportunities for additional materials in the future, whether that’s more interactive tools for kids or expanding SAM’s story into new markets,” she says.

As the SAM campaign rolls out in stores like EUROSKO in Norway, we hope it becomes a fun and informative way for families to engage with sustainability – all while shopping for their next favourite pair of shoes.

8. Interested in bringing SAM to your store?

If you’re excited about the SAM campaign and want to engage families and children with sustainability-focused materials in your store, we’d love to hear from you! Please contact us to learn more about how you can incorporate SAM posters, brochures, and other point-of-sale tools into your shop.

Feel free to reach out to us at francesca.alviani@sympatex.com (or marketing@sympatex.com) for more details and to get started!

Link to the SAM presentation

Ps. Follow Bine Penz on Instagram @binepenz