Pain-relief brand Goody’s took over the notorious 20th mile of the Knoxville marathon with a brand experience 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. The activation wasn’t just designed to deliver relief for runners; it was designed to build coverage for Goody’s. From local news stories to national press to high-profile running influencers, Smile 20 was a media magnet. And after the race, runners were invited to share their personal Smile 20 footage, fueling even more organic word of mouth. It was an experience that delivered relief in the moment and earned attention long after, all under a platform that proved the Goody’s commitment to pain relief: Even when runners can’t use the product, the brand is still there to help.