Pain-relief brand Goody’s took over the notorious 20th mile of the Knoxville marathon with a one-of-a-kind partnership that was designed to relieve runners’ pain, without even giving them a pain-relief product. Mile 20 of a marathon is known as “the wall” — it’s the point of a marathon where runners find themselves at their physical limits and mental breaking points. The problem is that painkillers during a race are strongly discouraged because it can overwhelm the kidneys. When pain is at its peak, runners can’t turn to the obvious solution. But an interesting fact opened a better solution: Smiling is actually scientifically proven to reduce pain. So Goody’s made runners smile—by putting a smile on their face, literally. At the 20th mile, Goody’s unveiled the ‘Smile 20’ experience: a massive digital billboard with a facial-tracking filter that turned their pained expressions into hilarious smiles. The irony of runners seeing themselves with a goofy, exaggerated smile got them to smile for real. It caught them off guard, helped reduce their pain, and even got them to run faster. Smile 20 was more than just a one-off installation; this sponsorship launched a platform that can be replicated at endurance events around the country with a consistent message: Even when runners can’t use the product, the brand is still there to help.