Five decades into its tenure as a global shoe and accessories brand, ALDO was facing the latest version of the challenge every legacy brand contends with: how to redefine itself for the next generation. The 53-year-old company had been an active player in every decade since its founding in 1972, and was intent on refreshing public perception of the brand to more accurately reflect its core products and audiences. To that end, and in preparation for the first wave of new launches, ALDO’s design teams had been researching and rethinking product with a focus on the realities of young people’s everyday needs.

With Combo on board, the work to breathe new life into ALDO’s image entered the next phase. During the research and creative ideation process, the team was struck by the fact that the vast majority of big life decisions are made before turning 35. This spoke directly to the life stage being navigated by the audience ALDO needed to connect with, inspiring the campaign platform and call to action that was all about discovery, courage and confidence in new situations: “Try Every Thing.” All the ideas, language and design came from this belief.

Combo reimagined ALDO’s positioning, content and marketing strategy, brand guidelines, and campaign visuals to authentically reconnect the legacy brand with youth culture. The goal with all aspects of the new platform was to make young people feel a little more confident in one of life’s most defining (and often uncomfortable) stages. Moving into a new art direction that was looser, lived in, and more inspired by how young people are creating today indeed challenged the existing brand standards. Letting go of the old rules and leaning into something different wasn’t easy, but was itself fueled by the risk-embracing mantra: Try every thing. It was all about ALDO becoming a catalyst for courage and using marketing as a way to prompt a generation to leave their comfort zone.

To help reposition ALDO from the ground up, Combo outlined a bold, social-first playbook that could bridge heritage with reinvention. The campaign was designed to come to life through authentic storytelling, immersive experiences, and a creator-led TikTok Branded Mission, inviting Gen Z to embrace new experiences as they navigate first jobs, fresh starts, and big moves. And what better way for a legacy brand to stay young—with a founder who, when asked to reflect on what shoe was his favorite, replied with, “The next one.”