Late February saw sportswear brand Asics leverage the US Olympic trials to kick-off the Olympic strand of its ongoing ‘I Move Me’ campaign with a multi-platform initiative spearheaded by two new television commercials.
The integrated campaign, which rolls out over the coming months, revolves around Asics’ team of Olympic athletes ambassadors: some of whom have been with the brand for a long while and others who are new Asics faces.
The creative seeks to showcase Asics’ values and the brand’s heritage and also to highlight the athlete journeys to the Games and, of course, the latest products.
The centrepiece of the campaign are two new TV spots.
A hero brand video introduces viewers to a 12-athlete action montage as they train for the respective Olympic sports backed by a voiceover by US women’s marathon record holdwer Deena Kastor.
The second spot specifically champions Asics’ stable of female runners and sets out to connect consumers to the emotional journey that these runners go through during a season of marathon training.
Both spots, which were conceived, scripted and produced by UEG/United Entertainment Group (Edelman’s entertainment and sports agency), will debut during the US Marathon Trials on NBC.
The athletes fronting the campaign include distance runners Sara Hall, Emma Bates, Deena Kastor, Lindsay Flanagan, Diane Nukuri, Diego Estrada and Clayton Young, wrestlers Jordan Burroughs and Adeline Gray and track and field athletes Kiara Parker, Kate Hall and Payton Chadwick.
Over the next few months, the brand campaign will continue to rollout across broadcast, digital and social channels, with additional activations and in-store events featuring Asics athlete ambassadors will further drive the brand’s message around key global sport and brand moments in the run up to Tokyo 2020.
Comment:
This campaign fires the starting pistol on what will be an intense sportswear brand marketing battle around the Olympic Games (Asics is a gold sponsor of Tokyo 2020).
It also marks a return to television for Asics which originally launched its ‘I Move Me’ brand platform back in summer 2017 to leverage the IAAF World Athletics Championships (see case study) which was then followed by a second wave of work in Spring 2018 (see case study).
The campaign launched ahead of the 8 March LA Marathon: a massive participatory event that Asics is the official presenting sponsor of after penning a five-year partnership back in April 2019.
As well as the marketing campaigns themselves, Asics activation includes an extensive on-the-ground presence led by a 20,000-square-foot interactive experience at the race’s LA expo with 3D foot scanning machines and a customised t-shirt centre.
Plus, because the 2020 marathon is run on International Women’s Day, Asics is also launching ‘The New Strong Team’ made up of media, influencers, and employees and will host a panel on 7 March at the expo.
The deal with Conqur Endurance Group and LA Road Runners also includes the Pasadena Half Marathon, The LA Big 5K, and Santa Monica Classic 5K and 10K, while Asics is also a partner of the Cherry Blossom 10 Mile Run and 5K walk in Washington DC, a presenting partner of Cincinnati’s The Flying Pig Marathon, as well as supporting multiple marathons in Asia, including The Tokyo Marathon.
The brand has also signed American distance runners Emma Bates, Lindsay Flanagan, and Clayton Young to bolster a roster already featuring American marathon record-holder Deena Kastor.
These tie-ups are part of Asics broader 2020 growth strategy to return to the top of the running world, starting with the USA, china and digital commerce, partly through marathon partnerships which don’t just provide brand profile, but also offer multiple and intimate connection and engagement points with a diverse group of participants.
“This is our heritage, it is who we are, and it is what will take us to the next level,” said Asics North American Executive VP Richard Sullivan.
“Everything we are doing, including returning to the Los Angeles Marathon, is about regaining our position at the top of running.”
Links:
Asics
https://www.instagram.com/ASICS/
https://www.pinterest.com/asics/
https://www.youtube.com/user/ASICSAmerica
UEG / United Entertainment Group
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