Dr Martens launches celebrity-led campaign on September 24 to revive sales
Dr Martens introduced a celebrity-led marketing campaign featuring Chloë Sevigny, Jordan Stephens, and Naomi Watanabe that launches across platforms on September 24 as part of its Levers for Growth revival plan. The initiative follows a fiscal 2026 revenue decline of 1.4% to £765 million, even as shoe sales rose 19% and off-price wholesale fell 31%.
The campaign invites wearers to explain what gives their shoes personal meaning and aims to shift the brand from a channel-first to a consumer-first mindset under the Levers for Growth plan. Chief brand and product officer Carla Murphy, who joined from Adidas in July 2025, said the effort reflects a renewed focus on viewing the market from the consumer’s perspective. Prior to the launch, Dr Martens had posted two consecutive years of revenue drops, with fiscal 2025 sales down 8.2% to £787.6 million and EBITDA down 40.8% to £117 million.
“We don’t have a recognition issue at DDrMartens. You know, we’re very iconic,” Carla Murphy, Chief brand and product officer said.
“The boots were still iconic. The business needed better footwork,” Barney Stacher, CEO of consultancy Retail OCD said.
Dr Martens had seen revenue fall 9.8% in fiscal 2024 and another 8.2% in fiscal 2025, prompting the Levers for Growth strategy announced by CEO Ije Nwokorie in June 2025. The company returned to profit in fiscal 2026 despite the revenue dip, and plans for 2027 focus on scaling the business and continuing consumer‑led marketing.
What we know
Campaign launch date is September 24.
Revenue fell 1.4% in fiscal 2026 to £765 million.
Shoe revenue grew 19% in fiscal 2026.
Off-price pairs in US wholesale fell 31% in fiscal 2026.
Carla Murphy joined from Adidas in July 2025.