The start of June saw ASICS launch a UK poetry-led ‘Nothing Feels Better: Make The World Move’ campaign encouraging the country to get moving to improve their mental and physical health whilst raising money for charity Mind.
The integrated creative, spanning social, paid and earned media, seeks to show how movement has a positive impact in mind and body and encourages audiences to take time out for exercise to make themselves feel better.
The marketing initiative was built on insights gleaned from a recent ASICs national state of mind study which found that the current mood of the UK population scored a lowly 62 out of 100. So, realising the need for change and improvement, the sportswear brand teamed up with poet and mental health campaigner Charley Cox.
Cox was commissioned to pen an original poem, ‘A Poem to Move the World’, aimed at inspiring the country to get active in order to improve their mental health.
The campaign rolled out on 7 June to leverage ‘Global Running Day and, after debuting in the UK, it was then extended into multiple European markets including Germany, The Netherlands and Spain (with versions of the poem rewritten specifically for each country).
The concept was conceived of by Golin London, while the campaign’s anchor brand film was developed by creative agency AGIT8 and media was run by Le Pub.
The hero film dramatises the poem whilst highlighting the transformational effect of movement on the mind. It highlights the everyday struggles people go through whilst combating their mental wellbeing. Featuring the increased difficulty of simple, everyday tasks – such as getting out of bed and showering – which seem easy to those not suffering mentally.
The raw and authentic narrative – which features the often overused phrase of ‘I’m fine’ in response to the question ‘How you are?’ – was written based on insights from ASICS’ own research.
It was accompanied by bespoke music track composed by award-winning sound artist Auntie-Flo (Brian d’Souza). The group also worked with music psychologist Dr Victoria Williamson and developed a track ‘rooted in science’ which incorporates elements such as swelling tones and changing tempos, proven to trigger improved moods and generate feelings of happiness and positivity when moving.
To listen to the poem anyone can search for ‘Nothing Feels Better’ on Spotify, visit the brand’s website, or watch the hero video across the brand’s online platforms.
The lead video was supported by additional social content including a behind-the- scenes ‘Making Of’ video.
The cause strand also runs throughout June and sees every listen of ‘Nothing Feels Better’ on Spotify raise £5 for Mind (donated by the brand) to promote physical activity for mental health improvement in local communities.
ASICS has partnered with mental health non-profit Mind since 2021 to promote the benefits of physical activity on mental health and wellbeing.
ASICS EMEA EVP Gary Raucher explained: “We’ve always believed in the positive impact of movement on the body and on the mind. The last few years have put even more pressure on the mental wellbeing of many people, and we’re committed to taking action. We hope the ‘Nothing Feels Better’ poem will inspire more people to move for their mental health, as well as raise valuable funds for mental health charity Mind to support the excellent work they do.”
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Poet and mental wellness champion Cox is well known across the UK for sharing experiences about living in the modern world and speaking honestly about mental health through poetry.
She published her first poem on Instagram and since then has received a string of accolades and awards. She was recognised as one of Forbes ‘30 Under 30’ last year and has been Virgin Radio’s poet-in-residence. Her work has also featured on Refinery29 and is also published her own collected works.
ASICS has long focused on its brand belief in the dual, related role of mental and physical wellness and recent notable campaigns showcasing this strategy include its 2023 UK OOH ‘Beautiful Minds’ campaign and its global ‘The Mind Games Experiment’ project.
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