Two cobalt blue leather ankle boots with chunky heels, suspended midair against a dark blue wall and wooden floor.

The Art of Being Crazy

HUMANIC Pre-Design

Crazy ever since
There are things you need. And then there are shoes. They are objects of desire, lucky charms, sometimes even full-blown obsessions. For HUMANIC, the Austrian shoe brand with over 150 years of history, this universal passion became the starting point for a radical repositioning—or rather, a pre-design that translates the brand’s original DNA into the future.

Mosaic of tilted fashion magazine covers featuring shoes and outfits, all branded HUMANIC.

Back to the Future
In close collaboration, Rosebud andZündel Branding searched for—and found—the essence of what has always defined HUMANIC: the fusion of tradition and avant-garde, heritage and innovation. HUMANIC becomes SHOEMANIC—a play on words that is more than just clever. It’s an admission of a collective »madness« shared by customers and employees alike. The new claim, shoemanic since 1872, turns this emotion into a promise and ties it to the authority of a heritage brand.

Advertisement poster showing a person in pink platform heels in a mall corridor.
Advertisement poster featuring yellow high-top sneakers on jeans-clad legs in a modern shopping mall interior.

Obsession as a Concept
The campaign Crazy About Shoes playfully embraces this obsession. It creates a flexible system of visuals and messages that celebrate a simple truth: the love for shoes knows no limits.

Moments of Seduction
In intimate close-ups, shoes become protagonists of personal stories. The images capture moments of pure joy, quiet admiration, and exuberant happiness. They serve as both an invitation and a reflection—for everyone who shares this special kind of madness.

Storefront shoe display with white pedestals showcasing sneakers; bold German/English text on glass; poster features blue boots.
Two-panel ad: person in cream sweater and white trousers sits outdoors with a mesh bag of oranges; brown leather ankle boots; prominent 'HUMANIC' text.
Person reclining on a black tufted leather sofa in jeans and a glitter blouse, wearing glitter pumps and holding a glitter clutch; 'HUMANIC' overlay.
Two women in vivid pink and royal blue outfits sit close; pink boots, pink fuzzy bag, green sequin clutch; prominent 'HUMANIC' text.
Child wearing blue jeans and yellow-blue winter boots stands near a large white fluffy polar bear prop in snow.
Brown poodle mix on a leash beside a woman in a cream coat and taupe boots on a city sidewalk.

Rosebud and ZĂĽndel Branding provide brand strategy, positioning, pre-design, corporate identity, art direction, digital branding, and brand communication. Photography: Bazzoka.

Black shopping bag with HUMANIC logo and rope handles on a dark gradient background.
Gold club card angled on a dark background, displaying the text SHOEMANIC and club card.
Wooden shoe-care brush with black bristles, bearing the text SHOE MANIC CARE on its surface against a dark background.