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Reebok, the sportswear giant, is raising the stakes in the trainer

wars with the launch of a new sub-brand, Contact, aimed at a

fashion-conscious youth audience.

Reebok Contact, which will be launched next month with a £4m TV

and outdoor advertising campaign created by Lowe, has been in

development for more than three years.

The company claims Contact is the first training shoe to be designed to

better fit a person's foot because it is shaped based on the foot being

on the ground rather than in motion.

The launch, supported by a PR campaign by Cake, will intensify

competition in the sportswear sector ahead of the World Cup, for which

Reebok's global rivals Adidas and Nike are planning major product

launches.

It will form the latest stage of Reebok's effort to position itself as a

streetwear, as well as sportswear, brand targeted at the teenage

market.

Reebok Contact will be sold in five variations to be launched between

March and May, including Bungee, a soft-shoed mesh plimsoll for women,

and Fasttrax Runner, with external cushioning.

The Bungee trainers will sell at £60, and Runner will retail at

£130.

Other shoes are branded Freefit Lace Up, Fast-trax Trainer and Zagarto.

Each targets a different audience.

Recent TV ads for Reebok have used humour to communicate the importance

of developing a healthy lifestyle. One spot showed a sofa trying to

prevent a runner from leaving his house to do some exercise, while

another featured a giant beer belly chasing a runner through a city

centre.

Reebok recently revealed that it was increasing its 2002 global

marketing spend to around £230m as it attempts to overtake Nike as

the world's leading sportswear brand. The money will go on attracting

female customers, as well as the launch of RBK, a men's fashion line.

Reebok is also developing its UK retail strategy. It opened a store at

Bluewater in Kent last year.

Last year, Reebok responded to rivals Nike and Adidas using sports stars

such as Marion Jones and David Beckham to promote their brands by

signing a £140m deal with the US National Basketball Association.

The ten-year deal, which will clothe all 26 men's and 16 women's teams,

starts in 2004.