Can a run club help GXS Bank go the extra mile?

GXS Bank is tapping into Singapore’s growing run club culture with a new community series that puts homegrown F&B businesses along the route.

The digital bank has partnered Singapore social collective OFF:FORM for a three-part run series taking participants through different neighbourhoods, with each edition anchored around a local F&B merchant. The initiative also coincides with the launch of the GXS credit card.

Speaking to MARKETING-INTERACTIVE, Maybelline Tan, head of PR and corporate communications at GXS Bank, said the idea stemmed from the card being designed around how Singaporeans live and spend every day, including dining at local restaurants and cafés.

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As a homegrown digital bank owned by Grab and Singtel, GXS Bank also wanted the launch to celebrate local F&B businesses. Running offered the bank a way to bring both elements together while allowing participants to experience different parts of Singapore on foot, she explained.

"Collaborating with one of our local run clubs to shine a spotlight on homegrown F&B businesses was a natural fit for our launch," Tan said.

The first run took place on 2 September, drawing close to 70 participants for a route that began and ended at Burnt Cones, a local gelato shop in Singapore’s Central Business District.

Two more editions are slated for 27 September and 28 October, taking runners through the East Coast and Jalan Besar neighbourhoods respectively. Each run will be anchored around a different homegrown F&B business within the Grab ecosystem.

According to Tan, the businesses were deliberately incorporated into the routes as a way to spotlight local brands and encourage footfall, while also giving runners a treat as part of the experience.

The decision to work with OFF:FORM, meanwhile, came down to a shared emphasis on inclusivity and community. Founded in 2025, OFF:FORM is a Singapore-based social collective centred on a fashion-first community run club that welcomes runners at different stages of their running journeys.

Tan said this ethos mirrors GXS Bank's own aim of making banking more inclusive and accessible. OFF:FORM was also able to customise each route around the participating F&B businesses, allowing the merchants to become part of the experience rather than simply serving as campaign partners.

Beyond driving awareness for the credit card, GXS Bank is looking to use the series to build relationships with consumers and encourage participants to continue supporting the businesses they discover along the way.

"We want everyone who comes down for the run to discover new food favourites, find their new running community and most importantly, to have fun," said Tan, adding that community-led activities give the bank an opportunity to build more authentic relationships with consumers.

The activation also connects with the wider Grab ecosystem, using dining and everyday spending as touchpoints to position the new card within consumers’ existing lifestyles.

GXS Bank is not the only brand tapping into Singapore’s growing run club culture to reach consumers through experiential marketing. In June, Sony Pictures, together with OMD Singapore and Omnicom Media Singapore's content arm, partnered run club Easy Pace Only for a Masters of the Universe-themed street challenge.

Dubbed "Run to Eternia", the 6km experiential run formed part of an integrated campaign spanning social media, digital, out-of-home, KOL partnerships and on-ground activations.

The trend has also extended into the F&B space. Earlier this year, Shake Shack Singapore launched Shack Track Club, a community-led run initiative aimed at bringing consumers together beyond the dining table.

First introduced in January, the initiative sees participants join scheduled runs that typically begin and end at Shake Shack outlets, combining exercise with post-run social experiences.

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