New Zealand screened across world in new global running campaign

New Zealand screened across world in new global running campaign

5 March 2015, 3:43PM
Wyllie Communications

Asics image

New Zealand’s mountains, forests, urban streets and a remote glacial lake provide the backdrop for a global campaign for ASICS that will be broadcast across the world from this week.

The campaign was shot in Auckland and the South Island with almost 200 New Zealand runners, including both professional athletes and everyday runners, taking to mountain trails, forests, city streets and glacial streams to reach the top of a mountain peak.

With the tag line ‘It’s a big world. Go run it.’, it is the biggest campaign ever undertaken by the sports footwear and apparel brand and will air globally in Australia, Japan, the United States, and across Europe.

Many of its placements will feature around headline sports events such as the ICC Cricket World Cup, UEFA Champions League in Germany and around NFL and NBA games in the United States.  Stills of the campaign will also be showcased in large outdoor formats around key marathon events from Tokyo, Barcelona, Paris and Stockholm to New York and Los Angeles.

The campaign starts with a single runner finding a ram’s horn on a deserted city street, shot in downtown Auckland.  After he blows the horn, more and more runners emerge from roads, deserts, mountains and trails, gathering into running tribes.  As the multitude of runners realise their achievement of reaching the summit of a giant mythical mountain, the sound of another ram’s horn echoes through the air calling them towards their next challenge.

“ASICS’ heritage is firmly entrenched in running and caters for marathoners, triathletes, trail, endurance and ultra runners – plus a wide spectrum of specialist types such as desert and ice
running.  We wanted to show the breadth and variety of types of running and inspire runners to get out there and explore the world through running,” says ASICS Marketing Manager (New Zealand) Emma Mearns.

“What’s depicted in the ad is real – every one of the 150 plus extras, professionals and featured runners we used run the different ways that were featured in the ad, in their real lives.”

The lead runner Chris Webb, an English baker living and working in New Zealand, even ran to the audition and now wants to take up trail running in Queenstown after his experience during the making of the commercial.

“Running has become such a big part of my life now.   I’m a passionate runner and being a part of this was a great life experience.  Just being a part of the campaign and meeting other athletes has truly inspired me to throw myself into the world of trail running.  So much so I’m beginning a new adventure and moving to Queenstown.  Running is now my life.  Track, road, trail, marathon, mountain – I want to run the world,” says Mr Webb.

The experience was also humbling for Queenstown-based ice runner Sia Svendsen.

“I was very humbled and grateful to be given the opportunity to showcase my passion for extreme running in my beautiful home in the South Island.  It was a phenomenal experience to work alongside such an enthusiastic cast of athletes from all over the world,” says Ms Svendsen.

The TVC features a host of ASICS sponsored international athletes, including triathlete Gwen Jorgensen (US), 100m & 400m hurdler and sprinter Queen Harrison (US), 800m runner Ryan Martin (US), elite training and fitness athlete Rosario Rios-Aguilar (US) and elite trail runners Sissi Cussot (France) and Genis Zapater (Spain).

To view the 90 second version:

Asics video

Search