Typical sports ads show athletes prepared to win at all costs, every inch of their muscular bodies trained to perfection, the final victory fuelled by a grit that few of us actually have. It’s inspiring and it works but it isn’t necessarily realistic.
In defiance of this category mould, Japanese brand Asics has seen an opportunity to differentiate itself from the relentless pursuit of success which is common to sports brands.
“A lot of sports brands would lead you to believe that your best is defined by a number. We believe that your best isn’t defined by a number. It’s defined by a feeling,” Asics EMEA head of product merchandising and marketing Gary Raucher said speaking at MAD//Fest London on Tuesday (2 July).
He added that unlike some of its counterparts, Asics is not interested in “winning at all costs”.
Harking to its founding philosophy – which originates from post-Second World War Japan – Raucher explained that everything Asics does has the idea of Anima Sana in Corpore Sano or ‘A Sound Mind In A Sound Body’ at its core.
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‘We want to show how sports can impact the mind’
As part of its messaging, Asics carried out a campaign that shows photographs of people before and after exercise — highlighting how just fifteen minutes of exercise can shift your mood.
“Transformation is what happens in the mind,” added Raucher.
The brand has shown this via a recent campaign which told stories about exercise through the eyes of children, highlighting how it can be fun, which Raucher explained showcases Asic’s focus on the mental benefits of sports and exercise.
He added that the brand has carried this focus on the mind forward through to its athletes, having created an addendum on each contract meaning that it offers each of those it sponsors psychological support.
‘Sports brands are actually adding to the pressure’
For Raucher sports are all too often “actually adding to the pressure” by promising people that they too might achieve that elite level if they just train hard enough.
“There’s this idea that you need to be a certain level before you can get out and exercise,” he added.
He added that there is also a heavy focus on weight loss across the category, adding that because this does not chime with the brand’s values it has sought out to disrupt this across social media. Indeed, it’s latest campaign saw the brand highjack weight loss hashtags to redirect users towards Asics content spotlighting the mental benefits of exercise.
He added that YouTube and, in particular long form video, has been a vital way of developing this aspect of the brand’s identity.
“It’s much easier to follow category convention and tell the same story over and over again, than it is to tap into something different.”
